


Planning Ever After

by Moon_Mirage



Category: Lunar Chronicles - Marissa Meyer
Genre: Modern Setting, Opposites Attract, Rom-Com Tropes, Romantic Comedy, Slow Burn, Wedding, Wedding Planning, alternative universe, and some characters we know or saw mentioned in canon, definitely slow burn :p
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-06
Updated: 2018-10-21
Packaged: 2019-03-14 18:32:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 56,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13595907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moon_Mirage/pseuds/Moon_Mirage
Summary: (AU) When Cress and Thorne are tasked with planning Kai and Cinder's big wedding, sparks fly between the two wedding planners who couldn't be more different: Thorne's cool elegance clashes with Cress's flowery romance. For now, they're stuck with each other - for better or for worse. But Cress and Thorne have to learn that some things can't be planned ...





	1. Chapter 1

" _You are hence invited to the wedding of Cinder Linh and Kaito Prince on August 27. We hope you are able to celebrate with us and_  ..." Thorne trailed off, looking up from the papers that Cinder had handed him. They were obviously ripped from a notebook (not very clean either) and while it was clear that she had painstakingly tried to be neat, the handwriting was still a bit messy and the corners were smudged. It was exactly what he would expect from Cinder. "What is this?"

Cinder scoffed at him. "What do you think it is? It's the wedding invitation. Sort of," she added.

" _Sort of_  is right. This is hardly fit for a party invitation that a teenager hands out when his parents are out of town." Thorne cocked an eyebrow at his scornful-looking best friend. To make his point, he held up the paper with the invitation text again, making sure to also point to the smudges and the writing itself—especially the ridiculous use of "hence".

"Hey, don't make fun of it," Cinder huffed, obviously embarrassed but trying not to show it. "It's just the notes and a few ideas. Look, the guest list is on the other papers."

Thorne skimmed them and indeed, there was the guest list scribbled down. He was actually surprised by how long it was. Page after page of names even Thorne didn't recognize. He thought his friends were trying to go for something smaller. "That many?"

"Unfortunately." It was Kai who answered. He carried in a few drinks and a tray of hot, steaming mini pork buns - Thorne's favorite. They were from a small restaurant on the other side of the city, so Cinder and Kai never bothered to get those for him, except on very special occasions.

The fact that they seemed to have made an effort to get him the coveted treats for a simple get-together would've made him suspicious if he weren't already distracted by the mouth-watering scent wafting into the room. There was also an array of other dumplings, shrimp wonton, rice with steamed vegetable and Crab Rangoon - another of Thorne's favorites that Cinder and Kai usually reprimanded him for, since it apparently wasn't an authentic Chinese dish.

As if Thorne cared about that.

Thorne and Cinder helped Kai arrange the dishes, handed around napkins and chopsticks, and started eating. Thorne was already chewing on his fourth pork bun - he was trying to get a headstart before Kai and Cinder switched from the other food- when he pointed his chopsticks at Kai. "So, why so many people?"

"Manners, Thorne," Cinder reminded him, although it would have been more effective if his friend's mouth weren't equally full when she said it. They grinned at each other, while Kai, proper as always, carefully chewed and swallowed before answering.

"Not by choice, actually," Kai said. "But I will have to invite party members, ministers, donors and other people who supported my campaign so far. It's going to be more of a social event than I would like it to be but ..." He trailed off with a shrug.

Thorne nodded in understanding. Since last year, Kai's career had really taken off. Even though he was still young, he was very popular which, with his good education and the right connections from his father, had already secured him a place in the city council. It also helped that the media loved him (and rated him as one of the most attractive politicians in the country - a fact that Kai was embarrassed about and one which Thorne loved to remind him of). And while Thorne disliked politicians and authority figures on principle, Kai had his heart in the right place and worked hard to get the right things done.

Although, judging from the dark rings under his eyes, he worked a bit too hard. Slumped over and quiet, he looked so different from the charismatic figure Thorne sometimes caught on TV.

Cinder reached over to pat Kai's knee in a comforting fashion. "It's alright. It's just for one day and I doubt it would be any easier with less people around. Thirty guests, three-hundred, what difference does it make?"

 _A big one, actually_ , as Thorne knew. It was his job, after all, but he focused on snatching the last mini pork bun from Cinder instead of correcting her. Rather than reprimanding him or even trying to snatch it back from him, as was expected from his best friend, Cinder just puffed her cheeks and took a shrimp wonton. Now this  _was_  suspicious. There was something going on, he could feel it. He decided to wait and see where all of this was going.

Kai talked a bit more about the various guests they had to invite while Cinder made coffee and tea for them - with an extra cookie for Thorne.

The good one with chocolate chips that she usually hid from him when he came by.

Now he was convinced that something was up and was tempted to call them out on it, but he wanted to see how far they would go. Especially Cinder. Judging from her forced smile, he knew that she hated being nice to him like this. Cinder never spoiled him without a good reason (and if Thorne had to guess, the reason had to involve, at least, the loss of two fingers and a bullet wound). Whatever she - and he assumed Kai was onto it - wanted, it had to be huge.

Maybe he could take advantage of whatever it was. He was overdue on getting his Rampion checked, and Cinder had always been good with cars.

For now he enjoyed watching her squirm.

"So you see, it's a big wedding. Tons of work, really," Kai finished.

"Of course." Thorne took the cookie and dipped it into his coffee. Cinder hated that, too, but now she just watched him, trying very hard not to show her displeasure. He took a bite from the soggy side with a happy sigh. "But as you know, I've already organized weddings with many more guests. As long as you can pay." Thorne squinted his eye. "You know I already gave you the friend discount."

Which hopefully wouldn't become a routine. With Scarlet and Ze'ev already married and Cinder and Kai soon, too, Thorne didn't have any more close friends who could ask for it anyway. And he felt especially gracious with the couple in front of him since he might be landing some rich new clients at their wedding, compensating for any losses.

Kai nodded. "Yes, and we appreciate that. We also appreciate you're not pulling any of your usual stunts to skim off some extra money," he added with a grin.

"Hey, I resent that. It's been years since I've done a few of my extra deals. I can assure you my reputation is spotless."

Cinder harrumphed at that before smothering the sound into a cough.

Thorne looked pointedly at her."Say, Cinder, do you have some more cookies? The good ones with the chocolate chips in particular?" he asked as sweetly as possible.

If looks could kill, nothing but moon dust would be left of Thorne. Her jaw working, Cinder actually stood up to go to the kitchen. Not without hissing, " _Tell him,_ " to Kai though.

Always the politician, Kai waited until he had Thorne's attention. "We are so glad that you agreed to do this. It's a big day for us and we couldn't imagine anyone better for the job. You do have a weird knack for this wedding stuff." He paused when Cinder came back, practically smacking the cookie box into Thorne's chest before planting herself next to Kai again. Thorne watched Kai take her hand and rub it in a soothing motion before continuing. "You are our friend and no one knows us better. We are sure that you know exactly what you're doing. However, we would also like you to participate in our wedding. Not only as a wedding planner or guest but, more than that, as my best man."

Thorne hadn't expected that. Not at all. He actually needed a few seconds before he could come up with a response. "Wow, Kai. Who knew you only had so few friends?"

Kai just laughed good-naturedly, but Thorne couldn't help but scratch his neck a bit bashfully. This was the first time he had been asked to be a best man and it actually meant a lot more to him than he wanted to admit. Cinder was still fuming, but regardless of whatever retort she had planned to hurl at him, Kai smoothly continued.

"Right. But we imagine it's quite impossible to be both our wedding planner and my best man. So, we thought ..."

Oh.

"... that you might..."

Oh no.

"... need some help."

Thorne quickly waved their concerns away and bit into another cookie. "Nah, don't worry. I know how to delegate my work, so I can do easily do both without help. Trust your Captain," he added with a casual two-fingered salute. He hoped that was enough to disperse any doubts, but then Cinder and Kai exchanged one of  _those_ looks.

"Thorne, we would feel more comfortable if there was someone else taking over during the ceremony and the reception. It's not just the many guests. We know how talented you are but at the same time, we want our friend to enjoy this special day with u-"

"Kai asked someone else already!" It suddenly burst out of Cinder. Faster than Thorne could blink, Cinder leaned forward and snatched the cookie box away from Thorne. Rather than trying to get it back, Thorne just tried to grasp what had just happened.

"Cinder, we talked about this," Kai said, exasperated. "We wanted to try it my way. Diplomatically and-"

Cinder just waved him off. "Yes, yes, Mr. City Council. But it obviously didn't work." Cinder leaned smugly back and bit into a cookie before adding with a full mouth, "Just tell him that we mixed things up and you asked your friend first." She turned back to Thorne, swallowing the last bit. "And I obviously asked you first," she added with a friendly bump to his shoulder, but Thorne was distracted.

"Hold on." Thorne waved to catch Kai's attention once more before dramatically gesturing towards himself. " _I_ 'm your best friend. You just appointed  _me_ as your best man. I'm also a highly-qualified event consultant. In fact, you two met at one of  _my_ weddings." Thorne pointed at Cinder's engagement ring as if to make his point. "And you tell me that your first choice for your wedding planner was  _not me_?" He leaned back. "Ouch."

Kai held up his hands. "In my defense ... you're Cinder's best friend?" he said apologetically before Cinder poked him in the side.

Thorne didn't know what to think. Sure, he was honored to be asked to be Kai's best man. He actually had been Cinder's best friend when she had still been hopelessly crushing on the popular guy who had volunteered at some charity home-building project (and who had absolutely failed at it beyond handing people the necessary tools - only sometimes succeeding to pick the right ones). Neither Cinder nor Kai knew how many strings Thorne had to pull to get both of them to attend the same wedding.

But since then, Kai had been a part of their group and he and Thorne had gotten close. Thorne had expected to be asked to plan the wedding but he had been less sure about being the best man. Now he couldn't help but think it had been maybe just another way to butter him up.

Pork buns, chocolate chip cookies, best man. Thorne didn't appreciate it.

And he didn't appreciate working in teams either.

"So, let me get this straight. You asked some friend of yours to plan your extremely important wedding with over three hundred guests? Who is it? Why have I never heard of them before? I hope you're not just dishing out favors?"

"No, no favors. Seriously, she's really good and if you work together, she can take over the ceremony while you're my best man. I'm sure you'll like her."

A woman? At that, Thorne perked up. "She hot?"

He didn't expect the stern look Kai shot him. "Don't even think about it."

"That's a no." Great. "Okay, who is she?"

"She's an old friend of mine. Cress." When Thorne didn't respond, Kai tried once more. "Cress? Crescent Darnel?"

"Never heard of her."

"I told you about her. Known her since childhood. We haven't seen each other much in the last few years but—"

"I mean I've never heard of her professionally." Although, apparently he had also drowned out any mention of some childhood friend Thorne never had the intention to meet, too.

"Oh." Suddenly looking a bit more uncomfortable, Kai nevertheless faced the question in his usual fashion. Frank and to the point. "She's just starting out with her own business. But she already -" once again Kai couldn't finish because Thorne gasped.

Loudly.

"You must be kidding! This wedding is huge and you asked a complete newbie?" He caught Cinder's gaze, trying not to look too desperate. "Cinder, you can't agree to this. It's your wedding, full of important guests, and it's way too much for someone with no experience!"

Cinder considered him a long time before answering. "Thorne, it would really mean a lot to Kai and me if you and Cress could work together. I haven't met her yet—"

Thorne groaned.

"—but I've seen some photos of the weddings she's organized and the recommendations on her website. And from what Kai told me, she didn't just - no offense, Thorne - become a wedding planner because it was the most convenient option but because she wanted it for a really long time. And, this way, I know it will be possible for you to be Kai's best man. Since, you know, I asked Iko to be my maid of honor. It wouldn't feel right to ask Ze'ev and leave out Scarlet. That's why Kai asked Cress instead of you - it was obvious to him that you would rather be his best man too, instead of just planning the wedding." With a rueful smile, she offered him the cookie box in which one last cookie remained. "Don't make us beg."

Thorne got up from his seat and started pacing around the room. He was aware of the gazes following him. He hated that his agitation showed but he needed a few seconds to sort things out.

And then it came to him. These weren't his friends. They were his clients. They paid him to do his job and he had to make sure that he did just that.

Right now, he wasn't the guy who had plotted behind his friend's back so she could get a chance to meet her crush and he wasn't the guy who had accompanied Kai when he bought the ring.

He was Carswell Thorne, one of the best event-slash-wedding consultants you could hire for the right amount of money. He could only advise his clients against some things but Thorne had learned that sometimes he had to concede even against his better judgement. So, if they wanted him to work with someone else, he would do it. He would keep it professional with that Crescent girl and hope she wouldn't mess up.

He turned to them sitting on the couch, looking at him expectantly."Alright. For this wedding, I'll work together with someone else. Be aware that we might have totally different ideas and you have to be really clear about what you want. When she's coming?"

"This Friday. That okay?"

Thorne nodded. "You know that I already secured the location and booked a few other things in advance as well? The vendors, specifically?"

"Of course. Cress knows, too. Seriously, Thorne, don't think of her as an interference, she's mostly there to support you, so you can be my best man."

He grabbed the last cookie that Cinder had offered him but didn't enjoy it as much as usual. What else was there left to say?

"Fine."

Although, he now regretted giving them that friend discount.


	2. Chapter 2

Becoming a wedding planner (or event consultant, as he preferred it) had never occurred to Thorne as a possible career path. But one couldn't dream of becoming a space pirate forever, and while Thorne was convinced that he would excel at flying a space ship, technology unfortunately hadn't caught up to his elaborate dreams (yet - Thorne still held out hope).

In the meantime, Thorne enjoyed a simpler lifestyle. He always knew how to have a good time and more importantly, others knew it too. After throwing another successful party, Thorne decided that he might as well make money with it. Planning an event of any kind played on his strengths, and Thorne knew how to advertise not only his parties but also himself better than others in the same field with more experience.

It started out simple enough, but soon Thorne had a small circle of customers who were more than happy to recommend him to others and it went from there.

Thorne hadn't been a wedding planner initially. He had started out with events of all kind—from birthday parties to business functions, from opening nights of clubs and art galleries to rowdy sport events. Basically everything, as long as the guests were over the legal drinking age. No birthday parties for kids and teens - no money was worth  _that_ trouble.

When Thorne snagged the gig of planning the release party for a popular indie band's new album, Thorne was suddenly in the big leagues. He didn't try to get further than that, though, because that would require more work than made him comfortable. But the paychecks were more than decent and from then on, he had the option to pick his jobs as he chose.

And while planning events had been lucrative, the real money had come from weddings. Weddings were usually a once-in-a-lifetime thing (although Thorne had clients who had hired him for their second wedding already). People were more likely to exceed their budget if you knew how to handle one particular person and that was the bride.

Sweet-talking the bride (and sometimes her mother) was Thorne's true calling and no groom or parent could say no to the bride's wishes after Thorne had convinced her that she  _so_ deserved the rose centerpiece with the mother of pearl vases and wouldn't a special wedding cocktail just be  _so_ much fun? If you had the bride, you had the budget and Thorne  _always_ got the bride with his flirty charm. And afterward - another perk - he usually got the jealous bridesmaid or desperate maid of honor, too.

Yes, being a wedding planner had its perks. Until you decide to do your best friend's wedding apparently—because now Thorne had to do something he didn't like at all: working with someone else and relying on them not to screw up.

No event planner did everything on their own, of course, and Thorne usually needed "assistance" when it came to the technical parts such as lightning or sound, but he usually delegated his work. But now, he had to manage his best friend's wedding  _and_ a complete newbie, too. He couldn't even treat her like a trainee, sending her out for coffee and getting his clothes from the dry cleaner, with her being friends with Kai and all.

Thorne sighed.

As if the short deadline wasn't enough to worry about.

He had double-checked with the venue and browsed a few ideas and color schemes. He also rewrote Cinder's complete text for the invitations (which had been more than necessary) but there wasn't much he could do until Kai's friend arrived. It bothered him that he was losing time. They were on a tight schedule after all. Thorne had accepted the fact that if he wanted to be Kai's best man, he would need someone to take care of everything during the ceremony and at least his speech before he could take over again. That he had no say in his "partner" was unfortunate, but he would have to make do as best as he could.

And maybe rethink his stance on sending her out for coffee. For now, he had to prepare a cup by himself and figured that he might as well check out the girl.

The search for "Crescent Moon Darnel" - with that name, unsurprisingly - came up with only one person and Thorne easily found her website. He wondered if it was a fake name, but he had to admit "Crescent Moon Weddings" had a nice ring to it that probably appealed to many brides-to-be. Looking over her website, he was pleasantly surprised. It looked much more professional than he had anticipated. Instead of a gaudy, pink, and overly-clustered interface, the choice of colors was tasteful and the design elegant and well-structured. Thorne knew from experience how expensive web designers could be, so maybe she was more successful than he had given her credit for.

But when Thorne looked through the pictures she had uploaded, he became concerned once more. Her style was more ... rustic than his. The guest list seemed to range about eighty people tops, he saw lots of barns and park venues, colorful wildflowers in buckets, hand-made presents, and quirky wedding photos. It didn't bode well for the elegant high-class wedding he had in mind. Thorne rubbed his eyes, but try as he might, when he looked at the pictures, no idea seemed compatible with his own. Even worse, it was clear now that Kai's friend would be thoroughly overwhelmed by the sheer scope of the wedding.

He checked the "About" page next, which listed all of the girl's experiences and her business degree, along with a personal account of herself and her career, but Thorne didn't give it more than a superficial glance. It was a bit too much of the typical "life-long dream" and "helping bring your vision to life" phrases anyway. It unfortunately had no picture of her. Depending on how she looked, Thorne would recommend she add one. Their business was all about the right presentation and that extended to the wedding consultants too. And Thorne should know—he had spent a small fortune on his business portrait.

Thorne didn't like admitting it, but he was now more nervous than before. It seemed likely that he and this girl would clash and he could only hope that Kai and Cinder would see that his ideas were much more suited for the wedding they had in mind. He would then proceed as he usually did and go from there. He had always worked on his own and this time would be no different.

Thorne was just about to take the last sip of his coffee when he heard the doorbell ring. He wasn't expecting anyone, so when he passed the mirror in the hallway, Thorne checked his appearance just in case. As he opened the door with his usual flourish, he saw Cinder was standing in front of him ... carrying a big box of what must have been - he looked closer - twenty more boxes of his favorite chocolate chip cookies.

He raised an eyebrow at his friend. "Aren't you a bit too old to be a Girl Scout?"

Cinder pursed her lips. "Ha-ha. Very funny."

"No, not at all. But you should wear one of those uniforms. In fact, one of my girlfriends owned one and we had this game where I had to get quite creative to pay for her cookies a—"

"—aaand that's too much information," Cinder interrupted him quickly with a scrunched-up face, opting instead to walk around Thorne and into his apartment. Heading straight into his living room, she placed the heavy box on the followed her but opted to stand at the doorway, hands in his pockets.

"I don't want them." Thorne jutted his chin at the box.

At that, Cinder deflated a bit. "But they're your favorite."

"That was before you used them to blackmail me. Now they're blackmail cookies."

"We never blackmailed you." She considered. "We just used them to persuade you. Therefore, these are persuasion cookies." She gave him a proud, toothy grin.

Thorne raised his eyebrows. That was hardly any better. She wanted something. Again. "And you want to persuade me to ...?" He left the sentence hanging between them. He had known Cinder for years now and she hardly ever asked him, or anyone, for anything - nevermind bribed them with cookies. This was new and he wasn't sure he liked it.

Cinder started wringing her hands, a sure sign that she was nervous. "I have to ask you for a big favor. And when I say big, I mean huge."

No surprise there.

"Okay, you know that Kai has this really important fundraiser today, right?"

"Right."

"And you know that I have to get to my first dress fitting today. And then I'll have to accompany Kai to his fundraiser."

Thorne nodded. "Okay."

Encouraged, Cinder took a huge breath before she lunged into an explanation. "Cress was supposed to arrive already. But instead, her flight got rerouted and she will be stuck at some other airport ... and we don't have time to get her."

Figured. "And you want me to get her?"

Cinder nodded. "It's really the only way. She got stranded and has no other way to get here until tomorrow. There is no other flight."

There was more to it, he just knew it. "Where is she, then? Long Beach?"

An embarrassed shake of her head.

"Ontario?"

Another shake.

"Santa Barbara? Palm Springs?"

Three shakes. What the -  _where_ had the girl landed?

Thorne took a moment to smile encouragingly but even he could feel how forced it was. "Cinder ... where do I have to pick her up?"

Cinder didn't answer right away but when she did, it came out in a quick jumble of words. "Inyokern Airport."

"What? Cinder, that's three hours from here. I'll be driving back and forth for the rest of the day."

"I know." Before he could answer, Cinder took one of the cookie boxes, opened it and waved it in front of him. "I'm soooo sorry to ask this of you. I know it's a huge favor. Gigantic. But she was already redirected twice and now she's stranded in Inyokern." She took a cookie for herself when he didn't. "Kai was really excited to welcome her at the airport. And he would go himself but, you know, the fundraiser."

Problem after problem. That's not how Thorne liked his women at all. "Why can't she drive here herself?"

"She offered but Kai doesn't feel comfortable that she would drive after being awake for so many hours. And you know how those multi-layover flights are. She offered to sleep at a hotel but I thought I should ask you first."

Pinching his eyes shut, Thorne considered Cinder's predicament. The problem was, they were already behind schedule. If she waited for another flight, they would fall behind even further. He sighed.

"Are you asking me as my friend or are you asking me as the bride?"

"What?"

"Are you asking me as my friend or are you asking me as the bride?" he repeated.

Cinder's face scrunched together in thought, as if she had to figure out the answer to a complicated math problem. "As ... my friend?"

Thorne made a buzzer sound like in game show if the answer was wrong. "Try again."

Now she looked confused. "As the bride then?"

He nodded. "Good. This is your crazy-bride pass. Every bride gets one because every bride has this one moment where she goes batshit crazy. At that moment, everyone drops what they're doing for you. Most women use the crazy-bride pass if their wedding gown wasn't altered correctly or when the horses of the carriage get sick or whatever. But it's for one time only, and at that time you'll get everything you want. You want to cash it in now? Should I really get Kai's friend from an airport even though you could use the crazy-bride pass for something else later on?"

Just as he thought, Cinder looked seriously tempted to leave Kai's friend remain stranded in whatever desert was nearest. Moments like this showed that Cinder would fit right into Kai's world of politics, maybe more so than maybe even Kai himself. But then she shook her head and Thorne knew he was done.

This was going to be a long day.

* * *

Inyokern Airport must have been the saddest excuse of an airport Thorne had ever seen. He hadn't expected palm trees and red carpets but the whole compound was small and shabby. Thorne felt a wave of pity for the stranded girl as he wouldn't want to be stuck here for another day either.

Then he remembered that she hadn't returned any of the calls or messages he had left her in the last twenty minutes and she wasn't waiting by the parking lot either. He would now have to go look for her inside. Thorne tried to be annoyed but he was glad that he could stretch his legs after being cramped in the car for the last few hours. And he could grab a coffee, too.

Entering the terminal, Thorne quickly found his way into the waiting area. It hardly looked any better than the rest. It was a bare, dim room with a few benches and a vending machine in one corner. When Thorne looked around, there was no sight of a woman that fit the description Cinder had given him. He saw a group of seniors milling around, a businessman working on his laptop, and a small family with toddlers whose hands and mouths were sticky with chocolate and who seemed quite content smearing the brown goop on each other while their parents were on their smartphones.

Thorne made sure to stay clear of them.

He wanted to check his phone again when he noticed a small lump slouched on one of the benches. Thorne made his way there and saw what he assumed was Crescent Darnel, deep in sleep. Small enough to squeeze herself into one of the benches, she lay with her knees drawn up to her chin, using a travel bag as a make-shift pillow. Her shoes must have fallen off and were scattered around. Her hair was a wild, tumbling mess and obviously in need of a few good brush strokes. What her hair didn't hide showed glimpses of smeared mascara and a few scattered freckles. Her mouth was slightly agape, breathing out the tiniest of snores. Thorne wasn't impressed. At least she wasn't drooling, but it still wasn't a lovely sight.

Carefully, he reached down and gently shook her shoulder. When she didn't even stir, he shook her harder. And harder. It was only when he poked her side that she woke with a start, rolling over and landing on the floor with a loud thump.

"Wha-?" She looked around, still dazed from sleep as Thorne helped her back to her seat with a muttered apology.

And if Thorne had thought she looked a bit unkempt before, she now looked positively dishevelled. Huge chunks of hair were sticking up from the static and the rest was plastered across her face. The left side of her face was sporting some dents from the seams and buttons of the travel bag. She rubbed the last remains of sleep from her eyes before they widened almost comically.

"Oh, it's you."

"The one and only." He flashed her one of his most charming grins. "Don't tell me you were expecting another handsome guy with such dreamy blue eyes?"

Instead of blushing as was duly expected of her, she looked almost unhappy. "You're already here." Her hands flew to her head, trying to smooth down some strands - although with little success. "And I look like a mess."

Thorne agreed with that excellent assessment but he didn't miss a beat to say, "Nah. Adorably sleepy, more like it." He looked around while she slipped on her shoes, hopping around a bit clumsily. "Tell you what, why don't you freshen up a bit and I'll wait here with some coffee?" He smiled encouragingly at her, pleased when she accepted his offer with a nod. No one could argue that he wasn't a perfect gentleman.

Buying two cups of simple black coffee, he precariously balanced them and a few creamer portions and sugar cubes back to their seats. He placed one styrofoam cup on the small surface next to her suitcase, taking sips from his own while he waited for her. The introduction hadn't gone at all like he'd expected. They hadn't even formally introduced each other. But then again, he thought smugly, at least  _he_ had made a good, professional impression.

When Cress came back, Thorne was surprised to see that she had cleaned up nicely. Her hair no longer looked like a breeding spot for birds but was twisted in an intricate braid, and her face was freshly scrubbed. Her clothes were still wrinkled and there was the faintest hint of dents on her cheek, too. Nonetheless, he mentally upgraded her from semi-cute to cute.

"I'm so sorry I didn't meet you at the entrance. I must have slept through your messages," she said with a sheepish expression, waving her phone around. "And thank you for driving all the way here to get me. I wouldn't have asked. But there was no rental car left and the next flight was tomorrow afternoon. So Kai told me—"

"—and Kai was right," Thorne interrupted her ramble. "We'll get back tonight, you'll get your sleep, and then we can start with the planning tomorrow. Sound good?"

She nodded shyly. "Sounds perfect actually."

"Good. Then it's time for proper introductions." He reached for her hand. "It's nice meeting you, Crescent. I've heard a lot about you."

"Just Cress, please," she said and shook his hand.

Thorne nodded and with practiced flourish, he brushed a light kiss against her knuckles. "Carswell Thorne. Wedding consultant extraordinaire," he added with a wink.

And finally, there was the expected blush.


	3. Chapter 3

Cress knew a lot about romance as she had tried to learn everything there was to know about everything that could be considered even remotely romantic. And Cress had already decided that Carswell Thorne must be the most romantic guy in the world. How could he not be? He was a wedding planner and for Cress, that was the most romantic profession - it was all about love and epic romances being celebrated on the most special of days. And she was also certain that he felt the same way. He obviously hadn't told her so but she could tell ... and maybe she had researched him a bit, too. But really, just a bit.

Carswell, or Thorne as he preferred it, wasn't shy about doing features for popular wedding magazines.  _The Veil_ ,  _Brides & Bouquets_,  _Something Blue_ ,  _Bride Up!_  - the major bridal magazines on the West Coast -were smitten by the handsome wedding planner. And since Kai had told her that she would work with his friend, Cress had read through almost all of the articles featuring him. She had sighed her way through every glossy photo showing his weddings but more than the beautiful venues and tasteful arrangements, she had swooned over his interviews. She might even have memorized her favorite lines and stories.

For Thorne, planning a wedding wasn't just a job. It was his life - and he tried to make every wedding special. A wedding was the biggest event there wasand should be celebrated accordingly. The dreams came first, only then did the budget follow, was his motto.

But the personal relationship was of utmost importance to Thorne. He saw himself as a "captain" whom the couple trusted to steer their ship into the right direction. He was always helping out where he could, whether it be lending one of the brides his beloved grandma's diamond necklace because he thought "every bride deserved to sparkle on her special day" or giving advice to the grooms-to-be on how to romance their ladies and win over their future in-laws. It was no wonder his weddings were always such a huge success.

But more than anything, Thorne's own wish to give the couples something he didn't have resonated with Cress. Just like her, Thorne was still dreaming of deep soul connections (okay, maybe Cress paraphrased it a bit but the idea was just the same) and hoping to cross the path of just the right woman. He never tired in mentioning that he knew she was out there and he wouldn't stop looking for her. Maybe, just maybe, he would find her at one of the weddings he had planned. Cress was sure that many bridesmaids had been trying to catch Thorne's eyes. She wasn't concerned, though - no one understood Thorne like she did.

Cress had been so excited to meet such a successful wedding planner and couldn't wait to work with him. She just wished she had made a better first impression. She had, for the longest part while she waited, looked like the epitome of professionalism. But then the long flights had caught up with her. She had dozed off and woken up looking like a clumsy, flustered mess.

Hopefully she hadn't snored.

Thorne, on the other hand, turned out to be exactly the gentleman she had expected him to be. He had brought her coffee and was now carrying her suitcase to his car.

Which was not at all the vehicle she had imagined.

Instead of the cool, fast convertibles she had assumed were popular in Los Angeles, a huge, banged-up Jeep was waiting for her, looking even bigger in the almost empty parking lot.

"This is your car?"

She had thought that maybe he had just borrowed it from a friend, but now there was no mistaking the proud look in Thorne's eyes. He practically glowed when he stroked a most prominent dent on the door and scraped at the paint around a particularly deep scratch. "Yes. The Rampion 11.3 model." Whatever that meant - car models had little meaning for Cress. If Cress hadn't known better she could have sworn he was cooing at the car.

It wasn't quite what she had expected but Cress just shrugged. Thorne opened the door for her and helped her in, which was necessary - Cress almost had to climb into her seat.

"You certainly are tiny. No more than five feet, I guess?" He chuckled. "The last time I was five feet, I must have been thirteen. Didn't hurt my chances with the ladies, though," he added with a wink.

Cress blushed - from embarrassment or indignation about the comment on her size, she didn't know - but took a sharp breath when he suddenly leaned over her. He fumbled carelessly around (and dangerously close to her thigh) until he found the handle to adjust her seat. Thorne had propped himself up, so he didn't touch her directly, but the way he so casually invaded her space made her squirm a bit uncomfortably.

But when Thorne had adjusted the seat according to her height and went to store her suitcase and travel bag, Cress actually enjoyed the ample space the car afforded her. After being cramped in airplanes for so many hours, she appreciated that she could stretch her.

She watched him enter the car and start the motor, but then looked quickly away before he could think she was staring at him. The tires screeched loudly over the asphalt, and the car bumped and spluttered until Thorne found the right gear. The driving was still more erratic than Cress was comfortable with, especially when she noted the check engine light.

"Uuh ... your check engine light is on," she said, pointing at the light, but it was unnecessary with the way it glared at them in bright red. Cress thought it looked a bit desperate and with Thorne swerving dangerously toward another car when he exited the parking lot, she couldn't help but feel the same way. Now she knew where the dents and scratches had come from.

He waved at her. "It's been doing that for a while. Cinder will check it soon, no worries." Thorne shot her a confident glance. "Not that I couldn't do it myself, but Cinder has a knack for it. She's doing it for free too. And so far, everything's been fine."

If everything were, in fact, "fine," surely the check engine light wouldn't be blinking at all, but Cress couldn't articulate that thought as she was forcefully yanked to the side as Thorne took a sharp turn. Thorne didn't seem fazed but for Cress, they couldn't reach the highway soon enough.

She tried to concentrate on the scenery around her rather than the erratic driving but Inyokern was unfortunately not the sight she had been hoping for. Cress was excited about Los Angeles and the ocean but Inyokern was a poor comparison. At least the weather was great.

Actually, with the sun tickling her nose, making her eyes squint, it was easy to slowly doze off again. She stole a glance at Thorne but he was still focused on the street (which Cress was immensely grateful for), while muttering under his breath. She thought it would be alright to catch up on some sleep. It didn't seem like he wanted to talk, and even though Cress had planned to ask him a million questions, she didn't want to distract him from driving. And there would be time to get to know each other during the next few weeks.

She leaned over to the window and tried to catch up on some sleep. The short nap in the airport hadn't been rocking motion of the car lulled her into a comfortable state of drowsiness but it didn't last for long.

"Hey, no sleeping." For the second time that day, Thorne shook her shoulder roughly. She blinked at him, and when he was sure she was looking at him, he gave her arm a small, apologetic squeeze before he let go. "You'll have bad jetlag if you sleep now and stay awake all night. Better to push through until we arrive and then get back into a normal sleeping rhythm."

That certainly made sense but was easier said than done. Cress knew it would be hours until they reached L.A. But Thorne was considerate and thoughtful to suggest it, so she nodded, thinking of ways to stay awake.

"Also, I could use the company. So, if I can't sleep, neither can you," he told her with a mischievous grin that highlighted his dimples. "The ride over here was already—woah, that was close!" He quickly swerved the car toward the exit ramp they almost missed, pushing Cress once more into her seat. A choir of angry honks followed them until they finally reached the highway. Cress was relieved. No more sharp turns, exits or traffic for a long time.

"So ... that went well, don't you think?" Thorne told her with a proud smile like he had just won a medal for not killing them.

Cress didn't know how to answer. This was not the romantic wedding planner she had expected. She couldn't put her finger on it - he certainly had been very gentlemanly before and he wasn't impolite - but he was ... different. Reckless certainly. A bit cocky too. And he didn't seem to have any sense of personal space.

Cress could adjust to just about anything. In fact, that was part of her job. But the image she had of Thorne and the way the bridal magazines had described him were at odds with the man beside her. The Thorne she had imagined had been a safe driver and not a rough-shoulder shaker. He wouldn't have commented on her small stature either. She wondered how many more surprises Thorne had in store for her, or if he, like her, was out of his element when he was not immersed in his job.

Maybe that was it. Perhaps Thorne was only quite himself while he was working to make the perfect wedding come true? Cress certainly could relate to that. Some wedding talk could be very well just what they needed.

* * *

"For someone who should be keeping me company, you're not talking a lot," Thorne remarked with a pointed glance, taking a sip from his water bottle.

"Oh," was all Cress could say and regretted it instantly. She probably sounded like an idiot. She had been painfully aware that, so far, she hadn't really said much during their drive together. She wasn't really sure what to talk about, though, and it didn't help that she was generally shy and a bit out of her depth. Honestly, she had assumed that by now they would have been gushing over their favorite weddings and exchanging a few helpful suggestions on the newest trends in flower arrangements. She had plenty to say about that. But Thorne hadn't brought up anything wedding-related - not that his tumultuous driving style had given them much room to talk thus far. "I guess I'm still a bit tired?" It sounded more like a question that an explanation but Thorne nodded.

"That makes sense. But since you have to keep awake for a few more hours, talking might help." He wiped his mouth and placed the bottle in a cup holder. "Is this your first time in California?"

Cress nodded excitedly. "Yes. I haven't traveled a lot but I've always wanted to visit California. I mean, Kai is here and I haven't seen him for years, so coming here has always been an obvious choice." She looked wistfully out the window. The landscape hadn't changed much: sand and dusty hills with patches of green scattered throughout. No, this wasn't what she had come here for.

She was giddy at the thought of seeing Kai again and meeting the woman he was in love with. Kai - getting married!

Her face must have shown her excitement because Thorne gave her a weird look. But there was no way she could even attempt to explain what it meant for her to see Kai again and that he had asked her if she would help with his wedding. Cress knew that she was only starting out, and while she was well-connected back home, a wedding of this size and scope (not even talking about the budget she could spend, which was much higher than anything she had worked with before) would usually require a better résumé than her own.

She wanted to make absolutely sure that she would give it her all. Cress didn't have any concepts so far; she would try to come up with ideas after meeting with both Kai and Cinder and listened to what they wanted. Every wedding was and should be unique, and Cress always needed some time to find a way to connect to the couple and find the details of their life and love that would make their own wedding special. And this time with Thorne at her side, who also knew the couple, they would surely be able to come up with quite a few personal twists to add.

"Well, someone seems excited."

Cress looked over to Thorne. He looked at her a bit strangely. "Of course."

"Seeing an old friend after so many years. Has it been years? I mean I haven't actually heard about you all that much before but here you are, being not only invited but planning the wedding, too." Thorne let out a slow whistle. "You'll also get to spend a lot of time with Kai. Might stir up some old feelings too, who knows?"

"Old ... feelings?" What was he talking about?

Thorne pointed a finger in her direction. "Let's get this straight. You're not pulling a  _My Best Friend's Wedding_ -stunt? You're not trying to ruin everything just so you can snag Kai for yourself, right? Because let me tell you, that won't work." He took his eyes from the road to gauge her reaction.

Mouth wide open, Cress could only stare at Thorne. "No ... I would never ... Kai and I—" she sputtered, speechless. She couldn't believe he would even suggest such a thing. Cress took a deep breath and started again. "Kai is my  _friend_. Always has been and nothing more. I'm happy that he's getting married and that I'm invited and can meet his future wife. I'm not trying to  _snag_ him for myself," she said, throwing the word back at him.

She held his fierce glance, forcing herself not so squirm in her seat - and not only because he wasn't keeping his eyes on the road like he should. The car was veering dangerously close to the edge of the road. Finally, he nodded and looked away and steered them back on the road and Cress swore she heard a relieved stutter from the engine.

"Just making sure." He then broke out into a carefree grin, looking for the world as if he hadn't just suggested that she would seduce her friend away from the altar. "So, where are you from?"

"Wait." Cress fumbled with the seat belt before turning her body towards Thorne. "You can't just accuse me of running away with Kai and continue as if it never happened. That's not something you just spring on people."

"Hey, you can't blame me for asking. I have to make sure this wedding goes through. I can't risk some old flame ruining it. Short of an intergalactic war, nothing will stop this wedding. It's too important to me."

Cress had to admit that this was actually very sweet - he cared for his friends. Even though Cress didn't have many friends, she could get behind being protective of them. She also had been part of two weddings where exes had created drama between the couple, so she tended to double-check if the bride or groom really wanted to invite an ex on their wedding day. Cress knew that seating the guests was always of the utmost importance.

"I mean, imagine the wedding getting canceled. All that time wasted for nothing, declining so many other lucrative offers and what would that do to my reputation? I have a spotless record so far. Nope, this wedding  _has_ to be successful."

That was what he was interested in? His spotless record? Cress was starting to have some doubts about this wedding planner. She mentally checked if she was actually sitting next to Carswell Thorne, but this was indeed the guy who had posed for the bridal magazines she had read.

"Okay, now, so where you from?" Thorne asked again, interrupting her thoughts.

Cress glared at him suspiciously but he seemed genuinely interested. "Burlington."

She didn't expect his laugh. "Vermont? The Naked State? That's something. But it fits your type of business."

"What do you mean?" Cress asked before adding, "And it's the  _Maple_ State, not the  _Naked_ State."

Thorne just shrugged. "Could have fooled me. Tons of places are associated with maple stuff. But as far as I know, in no other state is public nudity legal. I should visit you sometime. "Hey"—he turned to her excitedly—"you ever done one of those naked weddings?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at her.

"No!"

It was clear that he was disappointed. "Too bad. Always wanted to see one of those close up. Especially the bridesmaids." He did another suggestive eyebrow wiggle.

Once again, Cress wasn't sure how to respond, so she made a noncommittal sound instead.

"But Vermont seems like the right fit for your kind of weddings."

Now Cress was genuinely surprised - and flattered. "You know my weddings? You looked them up?"

"Sure. And all those barns and meadows and cows and ducks. Charming, really."

Maybe it was meant to be a compliment but the way Thorne said it didn't sound like he was impressed. Cress wasn't sure which weddings he was talking about. She had arranged a variety of weddings and she doubted there had been ducks present at any of them. Okay, there probably had been a few cows roaming around but if the venue was a farm, what did one expect?

She felt the need to defend herself. "I just love weddings with a nature theme. Like, every season has so much to offer and it would be wrong not to take advantage of that." She smiled at the thought. "Summer weddings are perfect for outdoor weddings and Vermont is full of amazing outdoor places. I once planned a wedding during summer where the guest made a maze for the bride and groom and they had to find their way through it to the pavilion where they would wed. And last spring, I had a couple whose theme was butterflies, so the whole venue was full of butterfly orchids and butterfly-shaped balloons and cake, and then they released real butterflies in all shapes and forms. And I organized an autumn-themed wedding in a vineyard - autumn leaves and fruits and kites everywhere. Even during winter, I had a couple whose guests ice-skated on a frozen lake and later made a tour through town in horse-drawn carriages. Everything was sparkling...," she said, sighing at the memories before she looked over at Thorne. "Don't you just love it? There's almost no limit to what you can do with weddings."

"I guess," Thorne agreed, not looking excited in the least. "If you have the money, that is."

"That's not true. Even with a smaller budget, you can still have a great wedding, too. One just has to get creative, that's all."

"And do you get paid well for all that creative input?"

Cress blinked. "I guess. But it doesn't matter. The most important thing is that the couple is happy."

"Wrong. It's your job. They get married, you get paid. That's the deal."

"No, the couple is the most important part. It's their special day, after all. That's what wedding planners are for - to make their dreams come true. No one becomes a wedding planner just for the money." If she were only interested in money, Cress would have chosen a different profession. With her business degree and IT skills, she could have easily found her way into all kinds of work. Accounting, maybe or something just as boring.

But no, Cress always wanted something else. Something that was beautiful and romantic and creative. Something that would make people happy. And wedding planners did just that. And it's not as if her business and IT classes didn't serve her well for this job either. Wedding planning was a passion though and she would gladly pick an interesting job that paid a bit less to follow her dream.

"And that, my dear, is where you're wrong again." Thorne opened the collar of his shirt and relaxed some more into his seat. "Wedding planning is just another profession but you can make good money in it. Many people know it. And as long as you do your job ...," he finished with a shrug.

Cress's brow furrowed as she tried to make sense of what he'd said. She obviously knew that not everyone would choose a career for the same reason as her but so far, every wedding planner she had ever met was very excited about their work. Even on TV, the wedding planners with their own show always told their viewers how much they loved their jobs.

Thorne himself had said so in many interviews.

"I mean, look at me. It's not as if I'm in it for anything  _but_ the money." He nudged her playfully with his elbow, oblivious to her shocked expression.

Of all the things Thorne had surprised her with so far, Cress had not expected this. She felt a sting at his light-hearted statement."You're kidding?"

"What? No, not at all. It's good, steady money. If I play my cards right, I can expand my brand - you know, work with some magazines, market some products, whatever - and then leave the business to someone while I can retire. Maybe do a few events here and there but that's mostly to keep my name out there."

He had everything planned out but nothing Cress heard was in any way similar to the things he had said during his interviews. There he had talked about dream weddings and romance.  _That_  Thorne had never mentioned a brand or retirement.

Nothing made sense anymore.

Knotting her fingers together, Cress searched for the right words. "That's not what you said in your interviews."

"In my ... ?" Recognition flashed in Thorne's eyes. "You looked me up, too." He poked her with his finger, obviously pleased by this development. "Well, I obviously I can't say that in my interviews, now can I? That's not something anyone wants to read in a bridal magazine. ' _If you want to waste exorbitant amounts of money on a day that will stress you for months just to impress people you don't even like, book me'_. Tempting, but nah."

"You were lying."

"Lying? That's harsh. More like I advertised my product by any means necessary?" He cocked his head as if to see if his words worked the way he had wanted them to. "Yes, that sounds good, don't you think?"

Cress was done. And maybe she was also a bit tired but she crossed her arms and told him outright what she thought. "No."

"Hey. That's not very nice."

"Not nice? You're saying mean stuff about weddings. You don't care about weddings. You are just lying to the magazines and the couples to make money."

"Yes. Didn't Kai tell you that?"

Indeed, Kai had failed to mention that vital piece of information. Sure, they mostly talked about work and, more recently, about his relationship with Cinder, the engagement, and now the impending wedding. But whenever he mentioned Thorne, he mostly talked about this really busy event planner who was involved in all sorts of fancy events.  _That_  she had heard about. But him being a scam? Not at all. And now Cress was confronted with a guy she otherwise would never work with in a million years.

A guy who had no sense of romance.

"So, you really have no interest in wedding planning? It's just a job you do because...? Why are you actually doing this job? You could do a million other things. Why this?"

He sent her an incredulous look, as if she were crazy. "Because it's good money? I'm independent, can pick my jobs, negotiate my contracts - all for my own benefit. I would be stupid to do anything else. I wonder why anyone would do it and not make the best out of it. Seriously, Cress, you should try more to look after your own income. Otherwise, you'll do this job for the rest of your life."

"I fully intend to do this job for the rest of my life. It's my dream job."

Thorne clicked his tongue in disappointment but Cress noted that it was half-hearted and he was still in an exceptionally good mood - while she was fuming.

"So, you're one of  _those_  wedding planners? Figures. Well, if that's what you want, knock yourself out over chair covers or buttercreme flavors. But for every realistic person, the whole wedding business is one big scam and a huge waste of money. As if that would keep anyone from making the biggest mistake of their lives."

"Oh, so you hate not only weddings but marriage, too? Let me guess, you're going to cite the divorce rate now. Like weddings are a scam because whose marriage is actually going to last nowadays, right?"

"Oh please. People don't have to divorce and can still have a crappy marriage," Thorne told her with an edge to his voice that hadn't been there before. It only lasted a second though before he, once again, smiled broadly in her direction. "Anyway, what they do once they leave for their overpriced hotel room or honeymoon is none of my business. My job is done, I get my paycheck, and then I look for the next lucrative offer. And one day, I'll leave all of it behind, live off the money I made off of spoiled brides and grooms without a backbone and hope I'll never hear another wedding march ever again. And that would be my happily ever after."

"And Kai is fine with that? He picked  _you_ to plan his wedding?" She wanted to add "over me" but she caught the words before she would seem jealous. She hadn't been before because, after all, it made sense that Kai would choose Thorne, the renowned wedding planner with more experience, over her. But that was before she knew that he didn't care about anything but his paycheck. What was Kai thinking?

Instead of being offended, or anything, Thorne just laughed.

His mood was unwaveringly cheery and Cress didn't know what was worse: that everything she thought she knew about Thorne was just fabricated lies he told to naive readers like her or that he didn't even feel bad about it.

He seemed to sense her change of mood. "I can't help but seem to notice that we have a problem here."

"I don't have a problem."

"No?" Thorne raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "So, you are just sitting here, pouting—"

"I'm not pouting." Maybe she shouldn't be sitting there with crossed arms and a frown on her face then, but at this point she didn't care. "It's just, you said all those things about romance and dreams and none of it is true. I thought you were..."

He looked at her, and his face, for the first time, held a glint of sincerity. "You thought I was what, Cress?"

' _Like me_ ,' she wanted to tell him but she couldn't. He would think she was weird, more so than he probably already did. He wouldn't want to know about she had hoped to find someone like him. Someone she could connect with and who didn't think she was weird for putting all this effort into the weddings of other people. Not just as a job but as something that made her happy. But he wouldn't - didn't - understand, that much he had made clear.

She opted to finish with something more innocuous instead. "I thought you were different."

Thorne didn't say anything for a long time but he watched her as if trying to figure out how to answer. He opened his mouth but whatever he had intended to tell her was drowned by a deafening bang that shook the Rampion. Even though Thorne frantically stepped on the accelerator pedal, the car only responded with a few sad creaks and splutters and slowed down until it came to a shuddering halt at the side of the road.

Thorne let out a string of curses as he jumped out of the car. Cress was unsure if she should follow but then again, she had didn't know the first things about cars. What help could she be? Although, she  _had_ told him that the check engine line was on.

Maybe it wasn't that bad. Thorne had said that he also knew how to repair cars, and judging from the banged-up look of the car, it seemed like it had happened a few times already.

But before she could finish that thought, another bang shook the vehicle and this time, smoke erupted from under the hood. She lost sight of Thorne but his loud curses seemed to take on another level.

Cress could tell that it probably wasn't an easy fix now. But, all in all, she couldn't help but think that this was just the perfect way to sum things up about this trip.


	4. Chapter 4

Cress had looked forward to Californian sunshine but, as she was learning, she had not been prepared for the immense heat that came along with it. The air around them was flickering, making Cress feel as if she were not just stuck in the middle of the Californian desert, but in the midst of hell.

Cress would have rather stayed in the car but because of the broken engine, the air-conditioning was down, too, and the inside of the Rampion made it seem like they were stuck inside an oven. Outside, the air was at least circulating, so Cress and Thorne were milling around the car. Well, Cress was milling around the car; Thorne was still trying to fix the engine after it had cooled down enough to touch. Judging from his colorful curses, though, Cress doubted he was having much success. But maybe he just wanted to have something to do. It was certainly better than just standing around, slowly melting away in the sun, like she was.

The heat might not have been a problem if Cress had been wearing anything but her business ensemble, consisting of a blouse, blazer and pencil skirt with tights and her high-heeled leather pumps. She had tried taking off her shoes but the hot pavement had burned the underside of her feet so much that she quickly hopped back into her pumps, rather enduring the strain that came from wearing high-heels instead. She also didn't want to take off her blazer. Surely, her blouse would sport huge sweat stains under her arms and around her back that she didn't want Thorne to see. She envied Thorne, who had taken off his shirt so as to not get it dirty. He was sweating, too, but unlike her unflattering stains, his back and torso just glistened in the sun, showing off every muscle.

He was handsome. Unfairly so. A bit unkempt and dirty, but more in a roguish kind of way that could easily be found in a Guess commercial. It was aggravating that he could look so effortlessly attractive while strands of her carefully-twisted braid had already come undone and every escaped curl was twisting itself in a frizzy mess. She didn't even dare to check her make-up, or what was left of it, in the mirror.

Thorne had even procured some expensive-looking sunglasses to complete his look while Cress was still squinting at the glaring afternoon sun. In his defense, he had offered them to Cress first and she had to grudgingly admit that he had been very gentlemanly about it. But with her small face, she knew the glasses would just wobble on her nose and maybe even fall to the ground. Recognizing the glasses' brand too, she had rather not risked it.

Although, it would have served him right. He had bought those sunglasses with the money he made from lying to all sorts of people. He didn't actually deserve them. Unfortunately, she couldn't rip them off his smug face and smash them, so she had to be content glaring daggers at his back.

"Seems like we're stuck," Thorne told her as he came out from under the hood, wiping his hands clean.

"I thought you said you were good with cars?"

Thorne shrugged. "I am good with cars. Everyone will tell you that. But I think we need to get it repaired by someone who actually works with cars for a living."

"Let's hope it's someone who doesn't just pretend to love their job."

"You're still going on about that?" He gave his hands one last wipe before he threw the oil-stained cloth back towards the car. "I personally don't care if they whistle while they work as long as they get my baby back on the road."

Cress bit her tongue. He should have known very well what she thought about him now, after everything he had told her. He hated weddings, he hated marriage—he probably hated puppies and kittens and ice cream, too. Cress racked her brain for anything that showed at least a bit of passion for his job when she remembered something she had read.

"The necklace!" She pointed wildly at her own collarbone. "Your grandmother's necklace! You gave it to a bride because she had no family heirloom of her own. That's not something one would do if they don't care for their clients."

"You've read about that too? I only looked up your website, but you've really done your research, haven't you?" He seemed flattered and it irked Cress to have given him that satisfaction. "It wasn't my grandmother's necklace. It's a cheap trinket which I sometimes lend the brides as a personal touch. Makes for a good story too. I tell you, the magazine ate that one up."

"You ... made it up?" The sweetest gesture she ever heard of - a fake? She didn't want to believe it even though she shouldn't have been so surprised. So far, he had not shown even an inkling of genuine love for his profession.

"Yep. And the best part is that since I never mention the bride by name, each one thinks I'm talking about them. Perfect publicity." He leaned against the car, obviously proud of his scheme.

Cress felt the last of her hope falter and die.

"Also, one of the weddings was in Hawaii and I really wanted to go there, so telling the bride the sob story about my grandmother's family heirloom she held onto during the war secured me a spot on the plane. Initially, they only wanted to consult me before they left for Hawaii. And so, Granny Thorne's invaluable jewelry"—he used his fingers to suggest quotation marks, mocking the cheap necklace—"got me a free trip to Hawaii. Which I extended, obviously."

Obviously.

What was there left to say? Cress could only think of one thing, but she was almost scared to bring it up. She felt the heat rising to her cheeks, not just because of the weather. She hoped he would think of her red cheeks as a result of the heat, not from embarrassment, as she braced herself to ask, "What about true love?"

Raising an eyebrow at her, Thorne seemed stunned for the first time since she met him. "True love?"

She nodded. "You said you were looking for the right woman. The one you were hoping to cross paths with someday but, until then, you said you would focus on the couples who had already found true love and make their day as special as you would love your own to be." Even as she said it, she felt the hollowness of those words. They had been full of meaning and promise to her but that was before she had gotten to know Carswell Thorne. Not the one she had read about in the magazines but the real him. Nothing she had read about him had been true, so Cress already knew the answer. "It was a lie, too, wasn't it?"

He didn't say anything for a long time but he didn't need to. If she were wrong, he would have corrected her already. When he finally nodded and said, "Yes," in a firm voice, it came as no surprise.

She was still curious."But why? Just for more publicity?"

"No, not really. Although it didn't hurt to mention it from time to time. More like, to let interested women know I'm still available. And very much straight." His eyebrows drew together as he considered his words. "Not that there's anything wrong with not being straight - I organized several same-sex weddings and let me tell you, that they were legalized was about time - but ... people stereotype guys in certain professions, so I'd rather tell everyone how interested I am in women before anyone could think otherwise." He gave her a one-shouldered shrug but it was more to make a point instead of a sign of embarrassment, she thought.

"I don't get it."

Thorne gave her a pointed look before reaching into the window and getting his water bottle. He offered it to her without a word but she didn't take it even though she was thirsty. He took a few sips of the probably warm water with a grimace before turning his attention back to her. "It's easy. At weddings, people get really emotional. See, everyone is swept up in this whole romantic affair: the music, the vows, the dancing, the lights, the flowers, you name it. There's this rush of excitement and some women start wanting to have something similar. Maybe not the whole wedding deal but at least they don't want to go home alone. A few well-placed words to susceptible ears and you basically have your pick of the attending women."

"You are sleeping with the female guests? During the wedding?!"

"What? No. Not during the wedding. Seriously, Cress, what do you take me for?" For the first time, he seemed genuinely offended by her suggestion. "First the money—that that guarantees my top notch apartment and retirement plans—then the women." When she didn't respond, he elaborated, "I get their phone numbers and call them later. Priorities."

"You are ... you are ..." She didn't know any other way to finish the sentence, so Cress added in a hushed voice, "A womanizer."

Thorne blinked at her in surprise before he threw his head back and laughed. "You're killing me. Where have you been all these years? Really, you should have visited much sooner." He seemed genuinely delighted and as much as he had mocked everything else before, Cress didn't feel like he was making fun of her. "I mean, has Kai talked about me at all? Because it doesn't seem like it. Rude, if you ask me. I wouldn't call myself a womanizer, though."

Cress had thought nothing could surprise her anymore but Thorne, once again, proved her wrong. "You wouldn't?" He scoured the weddings he organized for potential lovers (she doubted they were much more than that), what did he think he was?

He waved her question away. "Nope. I prefer 'ladies man.' A womanizer is chasing women, 'ladies man' implies that it's the women doing the chasing. And really, who wouldn't chase after me?" He struck a pose that might have looked comically on anyone else but with his shirt off, he actually looked like the ladies man he claimed to be.

When Cress didn't respond, though, Thorne faltered before walking over to her, his expression once again more serious. "Hey, why does this mean so much to you? If I love or don't love my job and everything. I mean, sure, I lied to some bridal magazines, but who doesn't? Let me tell you, most of those stories are fake. But you ... ," whatever he wanted to say, Cress would never know, because the loud sound of a honk interrupted him as a colorful Volkswagen bus came to a halt next to them.

The window of the passenger's seat door opened and a woman's head appeared. "Hey, you two need help?"

The smile returned to Thorne. "Yes, ma'am. The car broke down and there's something wrong with the engine. Any chance you could help us?"

"Not sure. I'll let my husband look into it." The woman turned back into the car and spoke a few words Cress couldn't hear. Then, a door opened and a man exited and walked towards their car. "This is Nils, my husband. I'm Jina, by the way. Anyone coming to get you?"

Admittedly, neither of them had even tried phoning AAA or anyone else for that matter. Thorne had tried to fix the car and thenhad gotten carried away with their argument. But Nils was already checking the car, and there was no point in waiting around any longer when they could take advantage of Jina's offer.

Apparently, Thorne thought the same thing because he responded, "No such luck."

"Where you headed?"

"L.A."

"L.A?" Jina went back into the car and said something, although to whom, Cress didn't know. Apparently, there were more people in the back of the bus, as she heard them laugh. Jina's head popped out again. "You're a few miles off then. Must have taken a wrong turn somewhere."

"We were driving in the wrong direction the whole time?!" Cress whirled around to Thorne who stood next to her. He scratched his chin with a sheepish smile before giving her a half-hearted shrug and left towards the car where Nils was already working.

Cress was so done with Carswell Thorne right now.

"No, not the wrong direction. Just a bit off. If you want to continue towards L.A., you have to take the next exit towards ...," Jina proceeded to explain the necessary turns she had to make but Cress didn't understand any of it since she had never been to California. But she pretended to listen attentively, although she would later use the GPS on her smartphone.

As Jina finished, Nils chimed in. "They won't be driving for a while, though. They need a mechanic." He took the cloth Thorne handed him, deep in thought. "There's a motel a few miles down the road where we can drop you off. You might want to stay there until the car is fixed or maybe the owner is able to help you." He looked at the car with, doubts wrinkling his face as he took in the overall state of it. "Although by the looks of the car, I'm not sure you can pay for it."

If Thorne was offended, he didn't show it. "Shouldn't be a problem. If you could take us there, that would be great."

"Sure. We have some space in the back."

"Great. Is there room for our stuff? We wouldn't want to leave it here unattended."

Jina considered. "Depends. How much stuff are we talking about?"

"Just a small suitcase and a travel bag."

"Okay. Might be a tight fit but sure."

Thorne went to retrieve Cress's luggage while Nils slid open the door of the bus. Inside, Cress could make out the hazy silhouettes of two men lounging on the floor. "You have company, guys." He turned to Cress, pointing inside the bus. "You can take a seat."

Cress didn't feel comfortable. Not at all. No sane person would ever enter a sketchy bus full of strangers. Thorne was mad if he thought she would do it and she couldn't believe that he hadn't even discussed it with her.

"Cress, could you help me over here?" Thorne called over to her from the back of his car. He was wearing his shirt again, slowly closing the buttons until he looked as presentable and clean as he did at the airport.

Reluctantly, Cress went over to where he waited for her. "I can't believe you're even considering this. We don't know them, Thorne. They could do God-knows-what with us on that bus." She kept her voice quiet, so Jina and the others wouldn't hear her but she made sure to pack as much venom into her voice as possible. "I'm not going in there."

Thorne's eyes flickered quickly over to where Nils was still waiting for them and he kept his voice just as low as hers when he said, "Cress, if you don't want to do this, I won't force you. We could wait for another car or call someone to pick us up. But we don't know how long that would take and I don't think spending the night here in the open is the better option. I would rather go to that motel. Maybe someone can help us there. If not, we could at least get a room there to spend the night—"

"I'm not going to share a room with you!"

"Two rooms, whatever." Thorne bent into the trunk and pretended to look for something but his eyes were still focused on her. "That's what I would do but if you're against this, I'll tell them to go and we'll wait. We'll figure something else out. I won't put you in a position where you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, Cress."

Cress swallowed. She did feel uncomfortable and unsafe. But he was right, they could just as well be forced to spend the night here on the road and that was hardly any safer. Jina seemed nice enough. And Nils did try to help with the car and told them about the motel. They wouldn't have done that if they wanted to harm them.

Right?

Taking a deep breath, Cress gave Thorne a shaky nod.

He returned it with a determined look as he grabbed her suitcase and handed her travel bag."I won't let anything happen to you, Cress."

And when he looked at her like that, with so much sincerity and conviction, it was hard not to believe him. Cress was surprised when she, despite everything that had happened between them, trusted him at that moment.

"Okay."

Cress grabbed her travel bag and she and Thorne made their way to the bus, where Nils was still waiting. He took her bag and stored it on top of another while Cress took in the two men who were lazily sitting on the floor. Behind her, Thorne and Nils looked for a way to store her suitcase.

"This is Kwende," Jina said from the passenger seat and one of the men raised his hand, "and that's Jamal." Instead of acknowledging her, Jamal just stared intensely at Cress, fixing his eyes on her as she climbed into the bus.

Cress mumbled a quick greeting and, since there were no seats, she also took a seat on the floor, cushioned by a musty blanket. A sweet scent hung heavily in the air and made breathing even harder without getting drowsy. It was way too hot, even with the door open, and she hoped that the drive to the motel wouldn't take long. Sweat stains or not, she had to take off her blazer, hoping that the dim light in the back would conceal them.

At long last, Thorne joined her on the floor, not before shaking the hands of the Kwende and Jamal first. And then Nils closed the door with finality and Cress felt truly trapped. She could only pray that she and Thorne hadn't made a huge mistake. Her heart was pounding and, as if he noticed, Thorne wound his arm around her back and kept his hand slightly, but soothingly, on her hip. Cress felt herself relax ever so slightly.

When Nils started driving, Thorne started to speak. "Thanks again for your help. If not for you, we would have probably waited for hours until someone came to pick us up. You said this motel was a few miles down?"

Jina gave a noncommittal sound."Give or take. It's one of those older motels that's a bit rundown now. It must have once been quite splendid, but you know how it is, most motels are not what they used to be anymore. Still, I think one of the owners might help you. They once repaired our baby here, too."

"You know this route well then?"

"Yes. We work at festivals, selling our stuff during the summer, so we get around a lot. What about you?"

"Just heading back to L.A. after I picked up my girl from the airport. We're still hoping to make it to dinner with the parents since they're waiting for us."

There were no parents waiting for them, though Cress assumed Thorne wanted to give the impression someone would notice if they wouldn't show up today anymore. It was a clever idea but Cress was more surprised by Thorne's casual reference to her as "his" girl.

"Ah." Jina turned to them and looked over the headrest with a knowing smile. "You know, at first, we thought we might be interrupting something, especially when we saw you all shirtless." She pointed at Thorne with a grin. "But then noticed that the hood of your car was open, so we went to check."

"And we're glad you did. It has been a long day and my girl's flight was redirected to Inyokern rather than to L.A."

"Oh no. How come?" Jina asked Cress directly, instead of Thorne. Kwende and Jamal were watching her and Cress felt like she had been put on the spot. Her mouth was dry from the heat and nervousness and she wished she had some water. She swallowed hard before answering.

"You see, my first flight was late, so I missed the connecting flight, too. And the next one that would have arrived in California on time was scheduled for Inyokern, so I took that one because the next flight to L.A. would have landed tomorrow evening."

As she told Jina about her trip, Cress felt the events of the day slowly catching up to her. She had been tired the whole time and taken a nap at the airport but since Thorne picked her up, there hadn't been a calm moment. First, she had been too excited to meet him, then had been kept awake by the slow realization that Thorne had never been the romantic wedding planner she had previously imagined. And then the car had broken down. It had been exhausting but Cress had tried to push through, hoping that she would soon get to sleep. Even staying the night at the motel sounded tempting at the moment.

"You poor thing. You want some brownies?" Jina bent over her seat, rummaging in a basket before she found a plastic container. "Still fresh and warm. Made them myself and you look like you could use one after everything you've been through. Might relax you."

When Jina opened the lid, the heavy scent of warm brownies filled the air. They looked amazing, each slice decorated with halved walnuts. Cress's stomach rumbled. She hadn't eaten anything since the flight and she was hungry. She reached for one. "Thank you —"

"— thank you, indeed, but we're good," Thorne told Jina with a smile, while his hand reached for Cress's and held it with a firm grip on his thigh.

"But I'm not good. I want one. I'm hungry," Cress protested.

"Honey, you don't want those brownies," he told her, his smile still holding but he looked at her urgently. "Remember your allergies."

"My ... allergies?" She had no allergies she knew of, so why would he think that?

Thorne turned to Jina with a shrug. "There are probably walnuts in there, too?"

Jina gave him a weird look. "Yeah?"

Thorne snapped his finger. "Too bad. My girl is totally allergic to nuts of every kind. Makes her puff up like a blowfish."

"Excu—", Cress started but Thorne continued as if she hadn't said anything.

"Believe me, not a pretty sight." He puffed up his cheeks and, for good measure, crossed his eyes in a comical manner until the bus was roaring with laughter. "Should have known that before I thought I would impress her with my cooking for our third date."

He then continued the outrageous tale of their third date, including a trip to the emergency room that would have even made Cress laugh if he weren't talking about her. Instead, she was blushing from embarrassment. But no one was paying her attention, especially when the container with the brownies made its round, passing over Cress, though Thorne declined too, still engrossed in his tale.

"Don't get me wrong, I definitely had plans to get her into bed that night - just not in a hospital bed, if you know what I mean." Thorne waggled his eyebrows, pleased with the attention.

The mood in the bus was jolly and even though Cress was still blushing from embarrassment, she had to admit it helped ease the tension that had previously been in the bus. Or maybe it had just been because Cress thought there had been tension. But the good-natured laughter made her feel as if those people weren't indeed out to kill her and Thorne. Happy people didn't plan to kill strangers. She eased a bit more into Thorne's side, playing along with their pretend relationship status.

"Your girl is pretty."

It was Jamal who suddenly spoke and his offhand remark stunned the bus into silence. His eyes were still strangely fixated on Cress, but his speech had a slurry note to it.

Cress swallowed, pressing herself closer to Thorne, scared once more. Thorne gave her hip a comforting squeeze before replying to Jamal. "She is, isn't she?"

"So short, though."

That was positively rude but Cress didn't dare say anything. Who knew how Jamal would react? Everyone was looking at her expectantly once again but all she could offer was a small shrug when Thorne chimed in.

"Ah, you know, that's the best thing about her. The reason I was allowed to get to know her actually." Thorne waited until he had everyone's attention, including Jamal's. "You know those wife-carrying competitions where guys run around carrying a girl over the finish line to win free beer?"

Everyone nodded, though Cress had only had the faintest idea of what he was talking about. But Thorne drew the attention away from her once more and Cress was grateful for that.

"Well, I went to one of those - because who wouldn't want to try to win free beer, right? - and there was Cress. Small enough to easily carry her. All the guys were running towards her, but I was the fastest. Scooped her up and ran like the devil and won the race too. Perfect size, my girl." He paused. "I mean, I had my eyes on her before that, of course. And that was my chance to sweep her off her feet … literally."

How did he come up with those stories? He had no qualms about lying, that much Cress knew, but she had no idea how easy it was for him. He spun his stories so expertly, if Cress hadn't known for a fact that they never met like that, she wouldn't have been able to tell. No wonder she fell for his interviews.

Cress just hoped everyone else was falling for his fake charm too.

Shyly, she allowed herself to rest her head on Thorne's shoulder as exhaustion claimed her once more. If she seemed to be dozing, maybe she would be spared further conversations. She didn't want to talk and she didn't want to be reminded of the precarious situation they were in. Let Thorne handle it - he had shown that he could do it.

For now, she didn't care for pushing through, as Thorne had suggested. She just wanted to rest her tired eyes for a bit.


	5. Chapter 5

"Cress, wake up."

By now, Cress was already used to the way Thorne seemed to wake people up and therefore was not surprised by the rough shake of her shoulder that accompanied his wake-up call. She looked dazedly around, her eyes burning from lack of sleep. The bright sun shining into the bus didn't help.

"We're here, darling." Thorne peered down at her while slowly helping her get up and out of the bus.

Still disoriented, Cress squinted at her surroundings. They had finally arrived at the motel Jina had recommended:  _Oasis_.

Aside from a few palm trees scattered around and a faded billboard depicting an actual oasis, the motel had little in common with its namesake. It was as shabby as Jina had predicted but it was everything Cress could have hoped for at this moment. The motel meant getting away from Jamal and it meant that she and Thorne could ask for help. Or, at least, a shower and a bed. They were safe and sound and definitely not kidnapped or murdered.

Thorne, meanwhile, was taking care of her luggage and exchanging a few last words with Jina, Nils and the others, shaking hands and thanking them for their help. Cress managed a small wave but hoped they would chalk her silence up to her sleepiness.

The bus drove away, leaving Cress and Thorne behind.

"That was a stroke of luck," said Thorne with a smile.

A stroke of luck, indeed. She knew it could have turned out very differently and Cress swore that she would never get herself into a situation like this again. But she was too tired to argue and just rubbed her eyes.

"Okay, here's the plan," Thorne said. "We'll book a room so you can shower, eat and drink something."

The reminder of food alone made her stomach rumble. "You know, if you hadn't so rudely rejected that brownie, I wouldn't have to eat something now."

"That ... brownie?" He looked at her incredulously. "Cress, you know those were pot brownies, right?"

"Pot brownies?" No way. No. It couldn't have been. They hadn't looked suspicious at all - they had halved walnuts as a decoration! Who would go the extra mile for pot brownies?! "Those weren't pot brownies."

A smirk formed around his mouth. "Seriously, why else do you think she mentioned that the brownies would relax you?"

"Because they're  _brownies_. They're meant to be relaxing."

Thorne laughed. "Touché. But those were definitely pot brownies. Didn't you notice the smell in that bus?"

She had indeed noticed the sweet scent but hadn't recognized it as cannabis. More like scented candles. Which, admittedly, was ridiculous.

She owed Thorne an apology then. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize. Thanks for preventing me from eating it." She could have done with a less embarrassing story though.

"Ah, that's what I do. Saving upstanding damsels from the danger of getting stoned." He nudged her playfully. "So, let's book a room for you. I'll ask the owner if he can help, otherwise I'll call someone to pick us up. Worst case scenario, we book an additional room and spend the night here." Thorne scratched his neck, deep in thought before he nodded.

It sounded sensible. They picked up her luggage and walked towards the entrance.

Ten minutes later, Cress was enjoying a hot shower, happily scrubbing the sweat and dust away. She was singing and humming, not sure if the room next to her was booked, and therefore tried not to be too loud. Thorne, at least, wasn't there. The last time she saw him he had been talking to the onion-smelling owner, so Cress was only too happy to receive the keys to her room and leave. After all, he had told her that he would take of everything.

Cress stepped out of the shower, robed herself in one of the scruffy towels and shimmied to her suitcase. The business ensemble she had worn before was out of the question. Not only was it dirty but it smelled, now that she could identify the scent, like pot – a left-over residue from the bus. It was all sorts of uncomfortable anyway. Instead, Cress chose one of the simple dresses from her suitcase and sat on the mattress to brush her long hair. Suddenly, she heard a giggle from outside.

She wouldn't have thought anything of it if not for the warm, deep laughter that answered which she instantly recognized.

Thorne.

Cress quickly secured the towel more firmly, expecting Thorne to knock at her door at any second.

He didn't.

She could hear him laughing and talking and that female voice responding in kind. Cress inched closer to the door but the voices seemed to come from a few doors down and didn't carry over well.

Self-consciously, Cress tugged at her towel once more and slightly opened the door just an inch and peered out. She didn't have to search for long.

There was Thorne and in front of him ...

A bombshell.

There was no other way to describe her.

Her tight clothes accentuated all her curves and the warm tone of her skin glowed in the afternoon sun. But it was more than that. A few years older than Thorne, she carried herself with a self-confidence that spoke of the knowledge of just how desirable she had always been to men. An attitude that came with an experience that Cress couldn't even dream of.

As evidenced by the casual way she took hold of Thorne's hands, inviting him to get closer.

Which he did.

The whole scene became even more flirty, if that was possible, with the added body contact. Cress caught something about "magic hands" before she decided that she had seen and heard more than enough and closed the door.

Cress thought back to their talk about his womanizing ways:  _A few well-placed words to susceptible ears and you basically have your pick of the attending women._

Seemed like he could find "susceptible ears" even in the middle of nowhere.

Oh, he was taking care of everything alright.

Cheeks burning, Cress went back into her room, angrily brushing her hair, and got dressed. With nothing left to do, she still didn't dare walked out of her room until she was sure that Thorne and his pair of "susceptible ears" (along with some other impressive pairs) weren't close-by anymore.

Because Cress had no doubt that they would leave for that second room Thorne had previously suggested.

So much for getting help.

So much for the romantic wedding planner.

Cress had no idea how she could work with him. He was nothing but a fraud. And now she would have to spend time with a guy who picked up women from sketchy motels, leaving her by herself, which wasn't something she was used to. Kai wasn't like that at all.

But the thought of Kai just made her even angrier. How could he have chosen Thorne, not only to pick her up from the airport, but as his  _wedding planner_? He surely knew everything about his friend. Granted, Thorne  _was_  good at his job, but did you really want some womanizer to take care of your most important day?

Was that why Kai had asked her? To rein in Thorne and keep him away from the female guests? Either Thorne was as good at his job as the bridal magazines had suggested, in which case there was no need for her, or his success was just as exaggerated and Kai needed her as a back-up.

Both options filled her with dread.

Not wanting to wait around any longer, Cress grabbed the purse from her travel bag, stuffed her wallet into it and strutted towards the door. She peered out but, no surprise, there was no sight of Thorne and Miss Magic Hands.

Still hungry, Cress opted to get something to eat, maybe two take her mind off things, as long as Thorne was "busy."

In the span of a few minutes, Cress learned two things: the motel didn't serve dinner and the vending machine was out of order.

Nothing, absolutely nothing was going according to plan. Not her flight, not her partner, not their trip to L.A. and not the food either.

Out of options, Cress stumbled into what she assumed was some kind of bar area. Although that sounded way too fancy for the dingy room with its pool table around which a few older men were lingering. The TV was airing some football game which two other guys sitting at the small counter were watching without sound. Instead, the radio was playing some oldies. No one turned around to acknowledge her. She spotted the onion-smelling owner behind the counter, the one that should have been helping them right now with their car as Nils had suggested (though Thorne had obviously never even talked to him about it). She went towards him when she saw the bowls with peanuts.

She hopped onto the last free bar stool with some difficulty, pulled one of the bowls towards her, and ate as many peanuts as she could stuff into her mouth. It wasn't much but the salty nuts eased the hunger a little.

"Would you like a drink with your peanuts?" came the gruff voice of the owner as he placed another beer in front of the guy next to her.

Of course, she should probably order something. Swallowing her mouthful of peanuts, Cress asked, "Do you have something without alcohol?"

"Sure." Señor Santiago, as he had introduced himself upon their arrival to the hotel, nodded. "But unfortunately my lemonade stand is already closed for the night."

The guys sitting beside her snickered as Cress turned red. She felt the eyes of the other men on her and shrank a bit under their scrutiny.

She knew she had to order something but what? She doubted they would serve her some fruity cocktails in a place like this.

She pointed to one of the bottles. "A beer?"

Señor Santiago harrumphed and went to open a bottle for her. "If you intend to eat more peanuts, you might want to order something else too, girl."

Apparently, a beer alone wouldn't cut it. There was no menu or anything, so she tried to remember some beverages she knew from watching movies.

"A whiskey sour." Wherever the "sour" part came from, she hoped it would make the whiskey into something resembling a Caipirinha or Mojito.

"A whiskey sour requires lime juice. I don't have juice. So, no whiskey sour, no Cuba Libre and no Cosmopolitan or whatever you fancy city girls like to drink. Just hard liquor."

Hard liquor was something Cress was completely unfamiliar with. Cress was more a cocktail kind of person, maybe a beer or wine sometimes, so she wasn't sure what kind of actual liquor to order. Especially on an almost empty stomach. Maybe, if she ordered a whiskey on the rocks, then she could wait until the ice cubes melted, thus distilling the drink. Or maybe she wouldn't have to drink it at all, as long as she paid for it? Yes, that sounded like a plan.

Before the silence stretched any further, Cress asked, "You have ice cubes?"

Señor Santiago nodded, still grumpy.

"Then a whiskey on the rocks." And since she was already at it, "And more peanuts." She lifted the now-empty bowl.

With a grunt, Señor Santiago went to get her drink and filled her bowl again. He also procured a bag of chips he offered her ... for a ridiculous amount of money which Cress grudgingly paid for.

Cress sipped on her beer, munched on peanuts and chips and tried to keep her mind away from Thorne and whatever (or whoever) he was doing at that moment. With a shake of her head, she focused on the football game instead (not that she knew who was playing for what but it gave her something to do), moving ever so slightly to the music from the radio.

When she tried a tentative sip from the whiskey, the alcohol instantly burned her throat and she resolved into a coughing fit. Señor Santiago grinned at her reaction as she tried to wash down the burning sensation with her beer and placed a glass with tap water in front of her.

But whatever possessed her at that moment, Cress couldn't say - maybe the haughty looks of Señor Santiago, maybe the desire to prove all these guys here wrong about this "fancy city girl" or maybe just her overall frustration about everything Thorne - but out of spite, Cress downed the whole glass. She still coughed when she slammed down the glass but she glared fiercely at Señor Santiago through a veil of tears.

"Another one."

Señor Santiago looked at her but shrugged and handed her another glass of whiskey.

For the remainder of the evening, Cress's mood increased immensely. She welcomed the lightheadedness and the buzz from the whiskey and the beer. The music became better and better and soon, she hummed and swayed along, forgetting completely about Thorne.


	6. Chapter 6

Thorne stretched himself with a contented sigh. After Cinder's surprise visit and the subsequent trip to pick up Cress, luck was on his side again. He was tired, sure, but much more relaxed than he had been before. Things were finally looking up again - thanks to Señora Santiago. Magic hands, indeed. It was hard not to be in a good mood once more.

He only felt slightly bad for leaving Cress for so long, but maybe she had taken a much-needed nap. She had been completely out of it during their short trip to the motel, so it was likely that she had just fallen into bed. No need to inform her that he would be gone, especially since he didn't know for how long he would be out with Señora Santiago.

It had been more difficult to sneak away so that Señor Santiago wouldn't notice. Apparently, he had something against his wife just wandering off with strangers - although Thorne was sure it happened more often than not. That wasn't his business, though.

He waited until Señora Santiago's curvy figure was out of sight before he climbed out of his car to jog over the parking lot where the rooms were located. Knocking at Cress's door, he wasn't surprised when she didn't answer right away, so he knocked a few more times.

No response.

He debated asking for the second set of keys, when Señora Santiago reappeared next to him, an amused smile playing on her lips.

"Your girlfriend is at the bar."

Thorne didn't bother correcting her about his and Cress's actual relationship status (what was one more person thinking they were together, after all?). He was much more surprised that Cress would be at the bar. She didn't seem to be that type of girl. Maybe she had gone looking for him?

Thorne nodded thanks, walking in the direction Señora Santiago pointed at when she asked him: "You're going to leave tonight then?"

"Yes. If we leave now we will arrive in L.A. in two hours. We have an important day tomorrow, so I'd rather make that drive now if possible."

"You remember what I told you?" she asked him in a reproachful tone that made him laugh.

"Yes, yes. No worries. I'll be a good boy." He took her hand and kissed it with his trademark bow.

She petted his cheek in return and left.

* * *

Whatever Thorne expected to see upon entering the bar, it wasn't ... this.

Holding herself up against a billiard cue that she used as a make-shift microphone, Cress swayed (it was hardly dancing) to the background music, singing an old Nancy Sinatra song:

 _A bad mistake I'm making by just hanging 'round  
_ _I know that I should have some fun and paint the town  
_ _A lovesick fool is blind and just can't see, oh lonesome me  
_ _Oh, I'll bet she's not like me, she's out and fancy free  
_ _A flirtin' with the boys with all her charms_  ...

Granted, she sang astoundingly well, especially given her slurred speech, but her uncoordinated movements bordered on comical. What was more hilarious though is that none of the guys in the room were paying her the least bit of attention. They continued playing pool or drinking beer, completely unperturbed by the drunk girl putting on a show for herself.

When Cress circled her billiard cue for the third time, each time stumbling over her feet, Thorne decided to approach her, clapping his hands.

"Bravo, Cress." He looked around the room. "Wasn't she great, guys? Come on, a round of applause." Reluctantly, the other man chimed in with a few claps and which Cress acknowledged with a happy bow - in the wrong direction but the sentiment was still there. Thorne didn't think she had noticed him yet, so he went over to the owner first.

"Dude, you should have cut her off. Look at her, this is irresponsible." He pointed unnecessarily towards Cress, who was starting to sing a new song. He only noticed now that she wasn't singing along to the radio which was playing a totally different song.

Señor Santiago and the two guys sitting with him laughed. "Cut her off? I've barely even sold her anything. A light-weight, this one."

"How much  _did_ she drink then?"

Señor Santiago pointed at the empty spot on the counter where an empty chips bag and bowl were lying next to one beer bottle and two almost empty glasses. Thorne grabbed one to take a sniff, instantly recognizing it as whiskey.

He looked at Cress, who was now singing with herself in a duet and back to the owner. "That's all? Two whiskeys and a beer?"

With a bored nod, Señor Santiago grabbed the bottles and glass and started to wipe the counter. Thorne wasn't done yet, though.

"Why didn't you send her to her room then? There was no need for her to stay here, drunk as she is."

While the owner didn't seem to care to give him an answer. It was one of the men sitting at the counter who chimed in.

"She was fun. Good singer, too. Much more entertaining than the game and she seemed to be enjoying herself. What are you, her babysitter?"

Thorne knew it would be pointless to argue, so he grabbed Cress's purse, checking if her wallet and money was still there (it was) before approaching Cress.

"Cress?"

She looked at him, her good mood instantly vanishing as she sang angrily into her billiard cue/microphone:

_Now he's gone I don't know why  
_ _And 'till this day sometimes I cry  
_ _He didn't even say goodbye  
_ _Didn't take the time to lie ..._

Okay. She was definitely mad at him. He tried to grab her elbow to lead her away but she danced out of reach, slapping his hands away.

"Cress, come with me. We have to go."

"No."

"Yes."

"No, you left me. I was alone and unhappy and you had fu-un." She pursed her lips blowing a raspberry at him - at least, that's what Thorne assumed she tried to do. She mostly just blew air at him, her breath noticeably smelling of alcohol.

It didn't matter. Thorne wanted to leave and she was making it difficult for him. He also didn't think she was in any position to blame him. Cress could have stayed in her room and slept instead of getting drunk.

Sighing, he took her billiard cue, setting it aside and, waiting for the right moment, he heaved Cress over his shoulder so she hung around his back, praying that she wouldn't throw up all over it.

"Hey!" He felt her tiny fists against his back. "These boots are made for walking!" she hollered. She also wiggled her (very much boot-less) feet in front of him.

"Alright, Nancy," Thorne muttered as he carried her over the parking lot. He was not in the mood for drunken arguments.

" _Na-aancy_ yy," Cress singsonged in a mocking voice. "I'm not  _Nancy_. Was that her name? Nancy Magic Hands?"

Damn, she was drunk. "What are you even talking about? I meant Nancy like Nancy Sinatra. You're singing her songs, aren't you?"

Cress didn't seem to hear him, instead she poked and pinched at his back. "Let me down."

"Not ... yet." She wasn't heavy but her constant movement made it hard for Thorne to keep his hold on her. He fished for his keys with one hand, the other still firmly gripping her knees. It was difficult but he managed to open his car and dumped her in the passenger seat. He leaned against the car, watching her.

Leaning against the headrest, Cress was suddenly peaceful and quiet. Forlorn even. He wasn't sure what to make of the change, but then she broke the silence.

"I can't believe you left me. For  _Naa-ancy_."

"There is no Nancy. I called  _you_ that."

"I'm sure you called her all sorts of things." When he didn't answer, she made a lewd gesture with her hands. "Miss Magic Hands."

Miss Magic -...? Did she mean ...

 _Oh_.

"Her name is Señora Santiago and she ...-" but she didn't let him finish.

" _Señora_ Santiago? Like, as in the owner's wife?" Cress looked at him with pure disgust and it been a long time since someone had looked at him like that. Thorne tried not to let it bother him, least of all in this ridiculous conversation. "You told me you were a womanizer but this," she continued, "this, is just all sorts of wrong. And disgusting." She added a long "boo" and gave him a thumbs-down for emphasis. As if she needed to make her point any clearer.

Thorne clenched his jaw at the insult. She had been appalled when they had talked about it before Jina and the others had interrupted them, but even then he had just laughed it off. It had seemed harmless but apparently, she had been seriously offended by what he had told her.

He didn't even know why he had told Cress the whole truth in the first place. She could seriously hurt his reputation if she decided to go public with it. But Thorne had just trusted Kai's friend. He had even thought that Kai might have told her everything about him already. Apparently, he was wrong. Thorne should have known better. Kai would never say anything negative about his friends or colleagues. And now Thorne had to take care of it himself.

But while he couldn't care less about what she might or might not think of his womanizing ways, Thorne did not appreciate being accused of something he didn't do.

He tried to be reasonable though - she was drunk, he wasn't.

"Cress, look around where you're sitting."

Her eyes comically wide as if it would help her see better, she took in the seats, the dashboard, then her feet (making her giggle in delight as she wiggled them) before she gasped, "The Rhubarb."

What the -? "The Rhubarb?"

Cress nodded before she mimicked driving a car. "Yes, when you went  _eeek_ , and then  _whooo._ " She moved dramatically from side to side, more like in a roller-coaster than in a smooth car ride. "And then  _bang_ \- total crash." She beckoned him closer and, when he complied, whispered conspiratorially in his ear, "You're a terrible driver." Another fit of giggles before she proudly declared, "The Rhubarb 11.3."

Cinder  _so_  owed him for this. Crazy-bride pass or not. "You remember the model number but not the name?"

She shrugged. "I like numbers."

"Hm. It's the  _Rampion_. Fixed and good to go." He paused. "And I'm an excellent driver."

She didn't hear the last part or chose to ignore it.

"Oh, we walked so far? Miles and miles?" Her nose crinkled. "No wonder my feet hurt."

Thorne, by nature, was not an impatient man. He wasn't quick to annoy either. In his book, almost every situation could easily be met with humor and a smile. It was a good trait for his profession, especially when things got stressful – which happened a lot before and during weddings. But he couldn't remember the last time his patience had been tested like this – and he never expected it from a five-foot nothing who was so naive that she didn't even recognize a pot brownie when it was offered to her.

Taking a deep breath, he pointed toward the motel that was only a few yards away. "We just walked over the parking lot. And I carried you," he added.

Cress, who had started to sing a lullaby to her feet, stopped to squint at him with an annoyed look. But then her expression changed as she drew herself back into her seat.

"I thought you had forgotten about me," she said so quietly Thorne almost missed it.

There was a seriousness to that statement that made it hard to for Thorne to just brush it off with a joke. He considered Cress for a long time, who was silent except for a few hiccups.

A lot had happened today and Thorne hadn't taken time to reflect on any of it. He had easily brushed off everything she had mentioned about his interviews, not thinking much of it. Of course, having believed all those interviews he gave to various bridal magazines, she had probably been disappointed to learn that he had lied in all of them. But still, despite everything, he had assumed that she hadn't taken everything he had said to heart. She had trusted him when Jina offered to take them to the motel, hadn't she? But now here she was, thinking he would actually abandon her to fool around with another woman ... which, granted, he had probably given her reason to believe after everything he told her.

But he had promised Cinder that he would pick her up and return her safely to L.A. More importantly, she was Kai's friend. And personal feelings aside, that meant something to Thorne.

And that's why he didn't answer but instead, grabbed the box from the backseat and handed it to her.

"Here, I thought you might be hungry. I didn't know what you liked, so there's a cheeseburger, hamburger, a chicken sandwich, chicken nuggets and some fries. And a salad, in case you don't like meat. And some apple pie and a diet coke. Not that you need one, obviously, but you never know." After the Rampion had been repaired, he had bought everything at the first fast food joint he could find along the road. He had downed a few burgers himself on the drive back but had chosen a whole array of things for Cress. Who knew when the last time was that she had eaten something? "I haven't forgotten about you."

"Food!" In an instant, her somber mood was gone and she unwrapped the first burger she could get her hands on and bit into it with relish.

Apparently, she wasn't picky. And she seemed awake enough to continue their journey to L.A.

He took the room key from her purse and went to get her luggage and pay for her room. In full, as Señor Santiago insisted, of course. As if they had stayed the whole night. On the way out, Thorne discreetly gave Señora Santiago a generous tip for her service. This had been an expensive trip for Thorne.

By the time he got back to the car, Cress had polished off the burgers and was now shoveling in the chicken nuggets she had dumped over the salad. She stabbed her fork into her make-shift chicken salad, thankfully looking less drunk than she had a few minutes before. Nothing like greasy food to absorb alcohol.

Thorne got seated and started the motor. He exited the parking lot and drove towards the highway. He kept in mind that he would have to find the correct exit ramp towards L.A. this time.

"Are you ready to finally get to L.A.?"

Cress nodded, then swallowed her bite to ask a bit more sober than before, "How is the car working again? It seemed in pretty bad shape before."

"Yeah." To be honest, Thorne had no clue what had been wrong with the car. As long as it was driving now ...

He quickly changed the subject. "I think this is a good opportunity to clarify something." He cleared his throat. Thorne didn't like explaining himself and saw seldom reason to. But he kept in mind that he and Cress would have to work together for the next few weeks, so he would rather not have any bad blood between them now.

"You seem to be under the impression that I left with Señora Santiago …"

She interrupted him. "Didn't you?"

"Yes, but not like that. Despite what you might think, I don't sleep with every woman the moment I meet her."

"You said you were a womanizer."

"Ladies man," he corrected her. "And I also told you I had priorities." He put his hand up, counting, "Money, then women." He paused. "Scratch that. In this situation it was my car, then women."

"So, you didn't sleep with her?" Cress looked doubtful as she placed her plastic fork and bowl back into the box, taking a bite of the apple pie now.

"Nope." Remembering what she had said earlier, Thorne added with a grin, "I wasn't interested in her 'magic hands' like that."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her wrinkling her nose. "What was that all about then?"

"Remember when Jina and Nils told us that the owner of the motel could maybe help us with my car?"

Forehead now wrinkled too, Cress looked as if she was trying hard to remember that conversation through her alcohol-induced haze. "I think so?" She squinted at him. "But he never left the bar. He just gave me peanuts and alcohol. So much alcohol.  _Whiskey, gin and brandy, with a glass I'm pretty handy_  ...," Cress hummed under her breath, before taking another bite.

Refraining from mentioning that the alcohol she had consumed amounted to just one bottle of beer and two glasses of whiskey, Thorne just grinned. "Well, he wouldn't have been much use to us anyway. The owner who is good with cars wasn't Señor Santiago, but his wife."

When Señora Santiago had approached him after he talked to her husband, he hadn't expected her to offer her services to repair his car. Not unlike Cinder, who had restored an odd little VW Beetle back to former glory, Señora Santiago was also quite skilled when it came to cars. They had driven in her car back to where he and Cress had left the Rampion and she had managed to get the motor running again - though she had reminded him several times that he would have to get the Rampion to a repairshop as soon as possible. The car would hopefully make it to L.A., but wouldn't run for much longer. It was unfortunate with so many things to do before the wedding but he couldn't risk the Rampion breaking down again. He would probably have to get a rental for the time being.

At least they would make it home tonight. Thanks to Señora Santiago and her "magical hands" with cars.

It was about time because when Thorne looked over to where Cress sat, she was already sleeping. Thorne reached over to take what remained of the apple pie from her hands and put it away. He then fumbled in the backseat until he found one of his sweaters he kept there and covered Cress with it. She snuggled herself into it.

Rubbing his eyes, Thorne had to admit that he would love to sleep too. It was already dark and it would be late into the night when they reached L.A. He also had no idea where to drop off Cress. Was she staying with Kai and Cinder? Had she booked a hotel?

He considered asking Kai but Thorne doubted he was still awake at this hour after that important fundraiser. Like it or not, he probably would have to take Cress home with him. That would spare him the extra trip to wherever she stayed.

The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Especially since tomorrow was a big day. He and Kai and Cinder had agreed (and he assumed, Cress too) that they would meet to pitch and discuss ideas. He would present his ideas and Cress hers and then Kai and Cinder would decide whose idea they preferred.

It would be his first opportunity to see how Cress worked. He had visited her website, but if Thorne were honest, after today he had no idea what to expect. He was no step closer to understanding how they would be working together. But he would find out soon enough.

Things were bound to get interesting.


	7. Chapter 7

Cress didn't just wake up. Oh no. Apparently, waking up today had to be accompanied by a jackhammer going off inside her head. No, several jackhammers  _and_ a wrecking ball. Screw that, an entire construction site had made itself at home inside Cress's head, tearing down every brain cell with as much noise as possible.

Cress tentatively opened one eye, quickly shutting it again when the glaring light entered it. It was way too bright for Cress's liking.

Still curled into a little ball, Cress forced her mind to focus. Like running diagnostics on a computer, she mentally checked every part of her body that seemed to have a bug.

Her mouth was dry and had an unpleasant taste.

Her eyes were burning.

Her head felt like an active warzone.

She felt sluggish and like she wanted to die.

End run diagnostics. Result?

Hangover.

Hangover with a side of the plague more like it.

Cress groaned and vowed to never drink again. Or stand up. Nope. She would just lie here in peace and welcome death.

That sounded like a good plan ... if not for something bumping her nose. Repeatedly.

Cress wrinkled her nose which earned her another bump. Someone was booping her nose.

Defeated, Cress forced her eyes open.

Her mysterious nose-booper turned out to be ... a cat.

An adorable kitten, more like it. A tabby, by the looks of it, with reddish fur and white paws and big curious eyes.

Which raised the questions, what was the cat doing here and, more importantly, where was  _here_?

Cress slowly sat up and looked around. Now that the kitten couldn't reach her nose anymore, it seemed happy to crawl into Cress's lap and curled up with a satisfied purr. Cress absent-mindedly stroked the soft fur, trying to remember last night's events.

She recalled Thorne picking her up from the airport, then their trip to the motel after the car had broken down, but things became a bit more fuzzy after that. She must have fallen asleep in the car because when Thorne woke her up, they had already arrived at his apartment. He had quickly shown her around and she had insisted on taking the couch, though he had repeatedly offered her his bed. But after he had picked her up from the airport, paid for her motel room and her food, it didn't feel right to take his bed too. Thorne had only grudgingly conceded ... after Cress had already snuggled herself in the blankets and promptly fallen asleep.

She was at Thorne's apartment, then. That hadn't been planned. Kai had arranged for her to stay at Huy Deshal's place, an international correspondent who used his own apartment rarely since he traveled a lot. It was a gracious offer because renting a hotel room for a few weeks would have been too expensive for her. But, of course, Thorne hadn't known where she was staying and Cress wasn't sure if he knew where Mr Deshal lived either. It had still been kind that he had offered her his own place to sleep without a second thought.

Last night, Cress had been too tired to actually see much of it but now, in broad daylight, she could take a closer look at the spacious room that seemed to be both living room and kitchen.

It was way more functional than she had expected, despite it being a bit messy. Though she had to admit that her expectations had come from the idea that Thorne was actually as romantic as he had claimed to be in his interviews, not the Thorne she had gotten to know yesterday. Therefore, it shouldn't have been surprising that there was nothing whimsical and picturesque about his decor. There were no knickknacks or flowers or anything. Overall, it was more on the practical side than on the stylish side. He had a lot of cleverly designed storage room, a shelve that served to divide the room into two sections – everything served a purpose. From where she sat, at least, it hardly told her more about Thorne or who he was and what he liked. It was confusing.

Just like that little fluffball purring in her lap. A guy who only looked out for himself didn't own cute nose-booping kittens.

"No, they don't," Cress sing-songed to the kitten, scratching behind its tiny ears which earned her a small meow. She wished she knew its name. She also wondered where Thorne was. Was he still asleep?

That's when Cress saw the glass of orange juice on the couch table next to two pills of aspirin. Okay, that was nice. Which Thorne had shown he could be yesterday, Cress had to admit. Sure, he wasn't what she had imagined him to be but he had been overall very thoughtful. It made her worry less about having to work with him. Maybe they could work together if the both of them compromised here and there. They were both professionals, after all. Yes, things were looking up this morning, despite her headache.

She took the two pills and downed them with the juice, feeling instantly a bit better when she saw the small post-it. She picked it up.

_Cress,_

_I assume you're going to wake up with a massive hangover, so here are two aspirin for you. If you need more, they're on the counter. You can take whatever you need from the fridge too. I'm off to meet with Cinder and Kai to discuss ideas. Feel free to come whenever you're ready._

On another post-it she saw two addresses scribbled down, but Cress was already setting Little Kitten aside and dashed towards the bathroom.

That mean-spirited, selfish ... Cress didn't dare finish her thought. They were supposed to meet Kai and Cinder together but he left without her to pitch his ideas. And he didn't wake her. No, he had left her behind so he could have a headstart!

Cress scrambled to brush her teeth, wash up a bit and put on some clothes. She still looked like she felt — like a mess.

Again.

But she didn't have time for make-up, she had to get there in time. Cress was  _never_ late to meet her clients.

Grabbing the post-it with the addresses, Cress dashed out of the apartment, looking for a taxi. Maybe, just maybe, she could still make it on time.

* * *

She didn't make it on time.

Kai had sent her a nice little text saying that they would wait for her and she shouldn't worry. It was so embarrassing. She already knew well enough that she had only landed this lucrative job because Kai was her friend, but to show up late and wearing the first things she could find — a wrinkled blazer over an even wrinklier dress with her most worn-out running shoes — would never fly as a good impression. And not just as a wedding planner but it was her first time meeting Cinder too. It was unacceptable, embarrassing and worst of all, it was Thorne's fault.

Oh, how he had fooled her. Picking her up from the airport, letting her sleep at his place, getting her food and aspirin — it had probably all been an elaborate plan to spy on her, trick her into trusting him and then make her look bad in front of Kai and Cinder. Maybe he had lied about everything, not just to the bridal magazines, but also to her yesterday.

All to lull her into a false sense of security.

Cress gasped. That's what he had that kitten for — to distract her!

In Cress's frazzled mind, Thorne became more and more villainous and she had second-guessed everything she thought she knew about him by the time her taxi finally arrived at Regolith Décor. It was a fancy, high-end shop for home decor but why Thorne wanted to meet here, Cress had no idea.

Cress paid the driver when she saw Kai exiting the building.

Even though Cress had been expecting —no  _anticipating_ — this moment for a while now she felt the familiar happiness of seeing her friend coming over her.

It had been so long. Too long.

She had hardly exited the taxi when Kai jogged over and hugged her fiercely. Cress welcomed the embrace. It was warm and familiar and way more genuine than Thorne's showy kiss on the hand yesterday.

"Hey, no smooching up other women. Those times are over, lover boy."

Speak of the devil.

Cress looked around to see Thorne standing in the entrance, opening the door for a woman with flourish. They exchanged a few words and Cress could see that his appearance was flawless. No wrinkle in sight, the dress shoes fit his smart suit — he looked impeccable.

Cress was done with the roller-coaster that was Carswell Thorne. He could lie and flirt all he wanted. She had never met a person that was as unpredictable and had so many personalities as him. Thorne seemed to be more competitive than she had previously thought but she would show him.

She might not be the darling of bridal magazines but she was a good wedding planner. A great one, even, who really cared about her clients. Cress would actually lend her grandmother's necklace to a bride and not just a cheap trinket.

"I'm sorry I couldn't pick you up yesterday myself." Cress looked up to Kai who gave her a sheepish look. "I'm glad Thorne could step in. I hope he was on his best behavior?"

Well, how could Cress possibly answer?  _No, your friend is a lying, conniving and selfish human being that fools couples for a living and even sabotaged me this very morning_? Tempting, but Cress knew she could only say "Yes, of course" with a forced smile for Kai's sake.

He didn't seem to notice."Good." He then smiled warmly, his ears turning pink. "Are you ready to meet my bride?"

* * *

Kai chatted happily as they entered the store, asking her questions about her life but Cress kept her answers noncommittal. They usually messaged each other regularly a few times a year but it wasn't about her now. It was about Kai and Cinder and their wedding.

And she grudgingly had to admit, as a hand settled on her shoulder, apparently it was about Thorne too. Somehow she had to factor him in whether she liked it or not.

He was downright jovial as he steered her through the store, greeting staff members when they crossed their paths. She felt him shooting glances at her which Cress ignored. Instead, she focused on the store. It seemed to sell everything from lamps and vases, fake flowers and table cloths, to napkins and candles. Everything was beautiful and elegant, but when Cress spotted a few price tags, she sucked in her breath. Beauty and elegance sure didn't come cheap.

"So ... I take it you slept well?" Thorne asked her.

Cress gritted her teeth. "Yes."

"Good." He nodded. "I thought about waking you but you looked like you needed sleep."

Cress didn't dare trust his innocent statement — as if he was so concerned about her. She prepared herself to answer, though what she didn't know, when Kai chimed in.

"I already heard. Delayed flights and then the Rampion breaking down too? What a rough arrival." He gave Thorne a pointed glace over Cress's head. "Though hardly surprising. Cinder told you time and time again to get the engine checked, Thorne."

Thorne waved at Kai. "Well, it's being checked at right now. I brought it to a repairshop this morning, so it's all good."

He even had time to drive his car to a repairshop and make it here on time? Cress wished she had taken her time to set her alarm last night. But it was no use. She had to be at her best right now.

They made a turn when Cress saw a familiar woman standing at one of the tables that showcased various decorations, weighing a dainty tea cup in her hands. She looked uncomfortable holding such fine china, as if it could break in her hand at every second. She placed it quickly back on the saucer where it gave a loud  _ding_.

"Try not to break everything in sight, will you, Cinder?" Thorne hollered at her and Cinder whipped around, sending her ponytail flying. She looked scornfully at Thorne who left Cress's side to make a great show of scrutinizing the cup for damage. Cress wanted to scold him - that was no way to treat a bride and client — when Cinder slapped his shoulder after Thorne didn't stop nudging her with it.

Cress smiled. Cinder was exactly as Kai had described her. She had recognized her from the photos Kai sent her from time to time. Sharp-eyed and with an even sharper tongue, she had no problem holding her own against Thorne as they bickered.

Like Kai and Thorne, Cinder was tall and lean and when standing next to her, Cress felt small. She wished she had at least grabbed her high heels on the way out.

But Cinder looked just as casually dressed as her, if not more so. Just a simple jeans and blouse, the latter of which sported a noticeable brown stain at the collar.

When Cinder noticed that Cress was looking at it, she instantly rubbed at it to no avail. "I spilled some coffee. I always spill something." She then looked up at Cress with worry. "I will be a horrible bride in a dress that is full of smudges."

A nervous bride was nothing Cress couldn't handle. She shook her head. "You will be a wonderful bride," she said, she hoped reassuringly, when Thorne chimed in.

"Yes. Or we could wrap her in cellophane until the ceremony."

Cress was tempted to hit him now too but Cinder looked hopeful. "Can we do that?" She waved at Thorne. "Nevermind." She extended her hand towards Cress. "I'm Cinder, as you know. It's great to finally meet you. Kai has told me a lot about you."

Cress shook her hand. It was rougher than expected. "It's great to meet you too. And thank you for this opportunity. I'll do everything I can to make your dream wedding come true." Cress had said that sentence, in one variation or other, to many couples, mainly the brides. But every single time she meant it and hoped to convey that to her clients. That their wedding was her top priority, even when she juggled several at once.

And this time it meant more to her than ever. Unfortunately her tardiness must have already given off the worst impression possible. Cress had to apologize. "I'm sorry I was late. I didn't set my alarm yesterday, so I overslept. I promise it won't happen again."

Cinder shrugged good-naturedly. "Don't worry. I know you had a rough time getting here." She pointed her thumb at Thorne. "Thanks to this moron here. Seriously, Thorne, I told you to —"

"— get my engine fixed." He mimicked Cinder's stern voice." Yes, I know. It's being fixed right now. I got Cress here in one piece, so mission accomplished. Can we finally go and plan a wedding?" He grabbed Cinder by the shoulders and steered her towards the back of the store, weaving her through the few customers that were mingling about.

"Shall we?" Kai offered her his elbow and together they followed Cinder and Thorne. They arrived at the only table that wasn't decorated to showcase the various products the store was selling.

There were two chairs; Cinder was already sitting in one when Thorne motioned Kai to take the other one. Kai raised an eyebrow but did as he was told. Cress stood a bit awkwardly next to the couple.

"Okay, Thorne, now what's your plan? What are we doing in this department store?" Kai asked, pointing at their surroundings. So, Kai and Cinder had no idea either, Cress realized. They all looked expectantly at Thorne who seemed to enjoy the attention.

"Well, my friends and friend of my friends"— he gave a nod in Cress's direction before he continued with an impish grin, "we are gathered here today in the presence of these witnesses —"

"Thorne!"

Thorne held up his hands. "Just kidding. But we are still gathered here today to discuss your wedding. You decided to have not one but  _two_  excellent wedding planners." He winked at Cress who remembered that he hadn't been too impressed by her weddings yesterday. "For the price of ... still two wedding planners because you two have apparently way too much money."

Cress flushed with guilt. She had not been able to give Kai and Cinder a discount and they were even paying her better than most of her clients thus far. But while she was here, she wouldn't be able to take other offers. She had scheduled some consultations in advance but the lucrative full-services packages or even Day of Consultations arrangements would have to wait until September. She assumed that Thorne would still continue his regular work while Cress could only focus on Kai and Cinder's wedding.

Cress was lucky that her inheritance allowed her to do skip one of the busiest months of the year for wedding planners. She knew that Kai's family was loaded but still, they paid way more for two wedding planners whereas usually only one was hired.

"That means," Thorne said, interrupting Cress's train-of-thought, "you have the opportunity to be presented with the ideas of more than one wedding planner. However, I think, and I hope Cress agrees with me"—he glanced at her—"that trying to combine several concepts would be stressful and time-consuming."

Cress nodded but wasn't quite sure what she was agreeing to. Did he already expect their ideas to clash? Cress had assumed that they would talk to Kai and Cinder and come up with a great concept together. But it seemed like Thorne had something else in mind.

"Great. Now I thought it would be best if both Cress and I would present you with different concepts and you get to pick one."

Cinder and Kai exchanged glances. "Sounds reasonable. What do you think, Cress?" Kai asked her.

"Sure." But if Cress were honest with herself, she was anything but sure at this moment. It was all very vague. Cress wet her lips before she asked, "What do you propose then, Thorne?"

"And what are we doing here?" Cinder chimed in.

"Glad you're asking, ladies. We're here because I propose that Cress and I will each pitch ideas and for that we can use everything you see." Spreading out his arms, Thorne made a show to gesture towards the shelves. "Here's what we do. Cress and I will each brainstorm one or more concepts and decorate the table. Table cloths, vases, flowers, candles, whatever. So you get to see what it could look like on your big day."

Okay,  _that_ Cress had not expected. They would put together their concept right here ... right now? That was not how she usually worked. She typically met the couple, talked to them in an initial casual meeting and then came up with a few concepts she discussed at a second meeting. It had always worked so far.

She tried to focus on what Kai was asking but Cress started to get nervous, only half-listening to what Thorne was saying now.

"No, don't worry. This is just the shop but they do have a supply store that rents basically everything you see here. I've worked with them before. They can supply you with the tableware, linens, and lights, so you can get a good idea of how your tables would look. Except flowers. I think we should get real ones." Thorne picked up a glass figurine from one the shelves and set it right back. "We don't have to get everything from here either. But they do have an amazing selection and if you want something else, we can get it. But at least this way, you will get an idea on how the tables will look, the color schemes …" He trailed off, scratching his thumb across his lips.

There was a moment of silence which gave Cress a few seconds to gather her thoughts.

It was a competition. Her against Thorne. She would hardly be working  _with_ Thorne, which was something Cress had been looking forward to, she would have to work  _against_ him. She wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt but she felt like he tried everything to relegate her to the sidelines.

Cress was comfortable at the sidelines, rather than in the spotlight — just not like this. She liked standing aside, delegating everything while the bride walked down the aisle and had her moment. But this — the ideas, the concept, the brainstorming with the couple — this was Cress's moment to shine.

Cress wasn't competitive. No, she tried to be as good as she could be and her small business was starting to take off very well. She had great reviews and a steady amount of couples asking for her services.

She wasn't as experienced as Thorne. She wasn't featured in fancy magazines and didn't plan to have her own product line. She didn't organize high-class weddings in L.A. either.

But she  _was_  good at her job.

"Cress, do you agree with this?" Kai asked her. He, Cinder and Thorne looked at her expectantly. Cress thought she saw a glimmer of nervousness in Thorne's eyes.

She drew herself up, meeting his gaze. "I do."


	8. Chapter 8

_"Cress, are you okay with this?" Kai asked her. He, Cinder and Thorne looked at her expectantly. Cress thought she saw a glimmer of nervousness in Thorne's eyes. She drew herself up, meeting his gaze._

_"I am."_

* * *

Truth was, she wasn't. She didn't quite know where to start. Thorne had already walked off, disappearing behind some aisle. She could still hear him whistling some cheery tune.

Kai and Cinder looked at her expectantly, probably thinking she would do the same (going off to find things, that is, not whistling). But just because Thorne had come up with this competition, didn't mean she had to play by his rules.

Looping her long hair into a make-shift bun, she approached the couple. There was no chair but she found a chest that was wide enough for her to sit on.

"I thought I would talk to you first, if that's okay with you." Cress rummaged through her purse but to her dismay she found that she had left her tablet at Thorne's apartment. She had neither pen nor paper with her, either, but more importantly, she couldn't show them her portfolio or open her spreadsheet which she needed in order to ask questions and take notes. She dropped her purse awkwardly to the floor. "Okay, no tablet, that's fine."

"You need a tablet? I have one with me." Cinder looked through her own well-worn shoulder bag and handed Cress a high-end model on par with Cress's own. In the background, she could see the design of a blueprint.

"Thank you." Careful not to drop or smudge it, Cress quickly opened the browser and found her website. She decided to not show the pictures of her latest projects just yet. But she opened her account and the questionnaire she always used for the first consultation. She knew she was wasting a bit of time and Thorne was already ahead of her, but she felt much safer going through her routine. It would help her getting a feel of what Kai and Cinder wanted.

Cress straightened her back and smiled at the couple. "So, I already know the general outline for your wedding but nothing about your own preferences. And I want your day to not just be an event for everyone but something special for the two of you."

Kai nodded with a thoughtful expression. "We haven't thought much about our own preferences. If it were up to us, we would have something simple just with our closest friends and family. As it stands, we have to invite my dad's business partners, donors of my campaign, our families and in my case, many of them are going to travel here from Japan and China for the wedding ..."

Cress made note of that in her document - guests from overseas would need hotel rooms, someone who could speak the language. There were also cultural differences to consider. She could brief Thorne on them later on, if he considered it important.

"It's now quite a huge party, so we're a bit overwhelmed. And since we knew that we would have two excellent wedding planners to ask for help, we ... didn't plan anything so far?" Kai finished with a bashful smile and Cinder nodded in agreement.

It struck Cress as odd that a couple would leave everything to their wedding planners. It was probably because this wasn't what they had initially imagined for their wedding but ... "A big wedding can be romantic too. Or anything you want it to be, basically. I'm sure there are ways for you to get a wedding that suits you and appeals to your guests."

Kai agreed but Cinder looked unconvinced, Cress noted. She decided against pushing it, though, and looked over her spreadsheet. She could skip over anything specific for now. Maybe Thorne would tell her what he already knew, apart from the venue and guest list. First and foremost, it was about developing a concept.

"Do you have a color scheme in mind?"

"No."

"Okay, but do you like one color as the focus or would you like to coordinate two?"

"Eh ... one?" Cinder answered while Kai simultaneously said, "Two?"

Cress deemed it safer to skip that question for now.

"Any preferences for flowers?"

Kai and Cinder looked at each other, then shook their heads.

Okay, this wasn't leading anywhere. Cress eyed Kai and Cinder for any clue. But neither Kai's gray hoodie nor Cinder's simple white blouse and jeans combination let on anything about their personal aesthetic. Cress didn't expect Cinder to wear her favorite flowers as a pattern on her blouse but there was nothing distinct about her looks that helped Cress figure out what Cinder would like for her wedding. Usually, Cress could tell a lot just by the choice of clothes or, when she was invited to the couple's home, by their furniture. Something always indicated what Cress needed although most of the time, the bride came prepared with ideas of her own.

"Hopeless, both of them," Thorne called from behind a nearby aisle.

No way was Cress agreeing with him though. No couple was hopeless. She tried something else.

"Tell me how you two met." She looked expectantly at Cinder since she already knew Kai's version.

Cinder blushed, though if from elation or embarrassment, Cress couldn't say. "We worked together. Or, not worked but we were part of the same charity project, building houses for people who can't afford one."

Cress knew that but it was such a great story nonetheless. She remembered her and Kai talking about that project and how he became tongue-tied over how amazing one particular woman was. He had tried to pass it off as just being impressed by her skills, the way she calculated and built the structure faster than most of the other guys. Many of them had previously made fun of the "girl trying to do a man's job." They hadn't laughed for long.

She hoped there was a part in the story she could use for inspiration. Cress leaned forward excitedly, her attention solely focused on Cinder when Thorne chimed in again, leaning so suddenly over Cress's shoulders that she gave a little squeal.

"Please. As if they talked more than ten words a day during their boring project." Thorne changed his voice into something more high-pitched. " _Have you seen my blueprints? Oh, is that_ your  _hammer? Do you want the green smoothie or the red one?_  True love story right there ... not." He clucked his tongue in mock disappointment before winking at Cress. "If you want to have the  _real_ story you need to ask for for their  _fated meeting_  atone on my weddings." He nudged Cress conspiratorially and went on his way, leaving a few boxes on the table. Cress tried to sneak a peek but couldn't see anything that would give her a hint what he had planned to show.

As much as Cress didn't want to heed any of Thorne's advice at the moment, the fact that Kai and Cinder met at one of Thorne's weddings was news to her. Kai had simply told her that he and Cinder were now dating and, after Cress had prodded him for details, he only mentioned that they had met again and hit it off after the project was done for the summer. She raised an eyebrow at Kai, prompting him to speak.

"Yeah, the project was over before we got together."

"But you spent every day for an entire summer together?" Who spent so much time together with a person they were clearly attracted to and didn't ask each other out?

"I did ask her out." Kai gave Cinder a pointed look. "Several times."

Cinder shrugged. "I didn't think you were asking me out. It was more like you didn't want to go somewhere alone. I thought you wanted company, not a date." With a grin that lit up her features, Cinder asked Cress, "Was he always that hopeless around girls?"

"Um ..." As long as Cress could remember, it had been quite the opposite. Kai had been popular among girls since his early teens. He had always been well-mannered, kind and smart, and girls had always responded well to that. His good looks didn't hurt either. He was effortlessly charming and confident so Cress was surprised to learn that he hadn't been that way with Cinder. It made it just more romantic in her eyes though. Because Kai hadn't been one to be nervous around girls. Young, rich and undeniable handsome Kai always knew how to have a good time with women. Quite a few of them, if his party weekend photos were anything to go by. She chose not to voice what she was thinking, though. "I wouldn't know. I never heard him talk about any woman the way he talks about you," she said diplomatically. "So, you met again later, you said?"

Kai sent her a grateful wink as if they shared a secret. "Indeed. I got an invitation to a wedding which coincidentally Thorne had been consulting for. It was just when he was starting out. Apparently, something was wrong with the speakers and since Thorne didn't know anyone else he could have asked, he called Cinder, who fixed it."

She wasn't sure why but Cress asked, "Whose wedding was it?"

Kai scratched his ear, deep in thought. "It was one of the architects working on the project during that summer too. Jane?"

"Kate. Kate Fallow," Cinder supplied. "I talked to her a few times since we're almost in the same field. We did most of the calculations."

"She didn't invite you too, then?"

"No, but we didn't know each other all that well."

To Cress it sounded like Kai hadn't known Kate Fallow all that well either if he couldn't even remember her name. It seemed strange but she would ask about that later.

"So that's when you met again?"

Now Cinder was definitely blushing. "He constantly asked me to dance, despite me not wearing anything appropriate for a wedding. I came from work and just wanted to get home when Thorne called me. I looked awful."

"She looked beautiful."

Cinder shot him a deadpan look but Cress could see the small smile forming at the corner of her mouth.

"I agreed to dance with him for one song."

That could be important, Cress reckoned. "To which song?"

Cinder waved her hand at Cress. "Oh, who knows. One song or another," Cinder mumbled, clearly embarrassed. Cress wasn't one to judge. She knew her fair share of embarrassing songs. With a shudder, she remembered her drunk Nancy-Sinatra medley from yesterday. But since Cinder didn't want to mention it, Cress wanted to respect that.

"It was  _I Found Love_  by BeBe Winans."

Thorne had no such qualms apparently. He strolled back with a confident stride, skillfully balancing more boxes and vases and a variety of textiles.

"Thorne!"

"What? It  _was_ the song you danced to, wasn't it?" He wiggled his eyebrows at a clearly mortified Cinder. "Dancing if I'm being generous. I saw your tongues move more than your feet."

"Thorne!" Cinder seemed even more mortified, if that was possible. Kai sported a smug smile he wisely hid from Cinder. Cress was sure if she and Cinder weren't there at that moment, he and Thorne would fistbump.

"While you're walking down memory lane, I'm actually working for my money."

Cress raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm working for my money too." What did he think those questions were for? She didn't want to argue, though. Instead, she stood up with a fluid motion, thanked Kai and Cinder, and made her way through the store. She only had the faintest idea of what she was looking for but she needed to start somewhere. Maybe something in the shop would inspire her.

Rows upon rows with every imaginable piece of decoration in every color and style. Elaborate candelabras and mason jars, metallic pearls and glasses with flowery designs - Regolith Décor seemed to have everything a bride could wish for. She only needed to find something for the bride Cinder was going to be.

Cress took a deep breath.

She knew from an earlier conversation with Kai that Cinder was a technical draftswoman, so drawing was a big part of her live. Probably not in an artistic way, though, which made it a bit harder. But maybe she could combine it with something Kai was passionate about? He had taken calligraphy classes in his youth. Out of the corner of her eyes, she spotted some delicate paper flowers. Each was shaded in a different pastel color, tipped with a silver and gold sheen. Instead of a regular table cloth, she found one that imitated the texture of parchment, a text swirling around in ink. It was different but maybe she could turn it into something wonderful?

Cress grabbed a few more things, each in some way relating to the colors of the flowers, writing, or the texture of paper. If done right, it could be personalized with individual texts and elaborately-folded paper. She picked up some shimmering tableware and, on second thought, one in wooden design too. It was a stretch, but Kai and Cinder got to know each other building on houses ... there had to have been wood involved, right?

Her arms already overflowing with things she had picked, so she looked for a shopping basket, carefully putting everything in it. Cress wasn't done, though. She always presented at least two ideas. There were a few more aisles she hadn't looked through yet. She was acutely aware that she didn't have much time and she didn't want to make Kai and Cinder wait much longer. That's when she found a colorful oil-paper umbrella in an Asia-themed aisle.

Careful to pick authentic designs (instead of the Buddha-head candleholder or the cup that had 'soup' in Chinese spelled on it), Cress nevertheless found a beautiful garland with illuminated paper cranes and a set of plates, bowls and glasses displaying a delicate watercolor image. She wasn't sure about the selection but maybe she could just use it as an example. If Kai and Cinder liked the idea, if not the design, something similar could be found in another shop too for sure.

Cress so wished that Kai and Cinder would like her ideas. It wasn't even about the competition against Thorne anymore. It was to show that a wedding planner who cared, actually cared about their clients, should be more successful than someone who picked the profession as the most convenient option. It was about passion and being mindful of every detail. If her idea wasn't picked, was there really any need for her to be here in L.A. for several weeks?

Balancing everything she needed (which now amounted to an entire shopping cart and an extra box, which drew some weird looks from the other customers), she managed to get back to where Kai, Cinder and Thorne were already waiting for her.

Cress made a point not to look at what Thorne had already prepared. She had to focus on her own presentation.

Arranging everything on her half of the table, she motioned to Thorne, "You can already start."

"Nah, ladies first."

It was hard for Cress to resist rolling her eyes.

Now she had to move extra fast. Cress was acutely aware that, once again, everyone was waiting for her. Her hands shook slightly and whereas she would usually spend hours experimenting with a final design, she felt pressured to hurry.

She stepped back from the table and gave the two arrangements one last glance. She had this. She had done it plenty of times before. Although this was definitely a new scenario, talking about her ideas should be familiar.

Maybe.

To her relief, Kai and Cinder didn't appear to be impatient or bored. Kai even nodded at her encouragingly. Cress smoothed the wrinkles of her dress, noticing the clamminess of her hands. She clasped them together so she wouldn't be tempted to fidget.

"Thanks for your time." Cress called up the smile she had practiced for such occasions. "I came up with two ideas that I hope you will like."

"Here you can see a paper-themed wedding. It's something that can look quite special and be turned into something that suits a couple and their individual ideas." She cleared her throat "This is an idea that could offer endless possibilities. This is just an example but we could settle on different color schemes and arrangements. But I thought it would be something that would suit both your talents. Like"—Cress wanted to smack her head at the unprofessional choice of language and stumbled over her next words—"I mean, as you, as  _I_  know, Cinder is a draftswoman and while your way of drawing is probably more ... technical, I think, it would still show a connection. Especially since Kai had calligraphy lessons when he was younger..." Cress trailed off. Suddenly, the connection she made sounded weak to her own ears. Who cared if Kai had calligraphy lessons as a kid? But it was a good idea with so much room for improvement, she just had to sell it.

She stepped towards the table, pointing at the various things. "Instead of real flowers, we could use paper flowers. These are just the ones I found in this store and as you can see, they look like pale roses with a bit of gold and silver and some writing on it, but I'm sure we can find paper flowers in every shape and form if you want something else. Also," she said, holding up the little figure she had quickly folded together into a bishop's hat form, "you can use many folding techniques for the napkins or the decorations. Everything could be in any color you want and personalized with your names or penmanships. As for the lights, we could use paper lanterns. It would look all cohesive while still being very elegant." An idea popped into Cress's head. "Also, you could involve the guests with them writing their own best wishes or poems—or anything, really, for you to collect and cherish. It would add a personal touch, I'm sure."

Nodding at the couple, Cress indicated that her first pitch was over. She wouldn't continue with the second one right away. It was important to let people take in what they heard and saw, maybe ask questions or just voice their thoughts.

"You can take a closer look if you want."

Kai and Cinder approached, taking in the part of the decorated table. Cinder, in particular, examined the folded napkin as if to figure out how Cress had done it.

"It's a great idea," Kai told Cress with a smile, but Cress hadn't expected Kai to say anything negative. "I like how much one can do with it, as you said. You even remembered my calligraphy classes. Though you failed to mention that I was absolutely terrible at it," he reminded her with a wink.

"I like it too," Cinder chimed in. "Though the roses with the pink and silver and gold ..." She made a face. "But you said we could have other paper flowers, right?

Cress beamed. "Of course. I've seen every shade and form and can order them for you." Cress was relieved. It seemed like they really liked it.

"It  _is_ a nice idea." Thorne had come closer too and picked at one of the paper flowers. "I've seen a few weddings with a similar theme but haven't done anything like it myself."

He surely wasn't suggesting that the idea was beneath him, was he? Cress glanced at him from the corner of her eye but nothing suggested that Thorne was insulting the idea itself. He didn't seem too impressed either though.

"However—"

Cress pursed her lips in annoyance. She had no idea why had started voicing a criticism already but she couldn't say she was surprised.

"—I'm not sure if it works for the venue we picked."

"Why not?"

"Because it all seems very small in scale. The venue is huge. The whole room needs to be filled so it doesn't appear to be empty. I'm not sure that folding techniques and paper flowers are enough." He raised his hands. "No offense though because, as I said, it is a nice idea. It's just too delicate if you ask me. I see it working its full effect at a smaller venue rather than Artemisia Hall."

Cress wasn't sure how that could be an issue. The centerpiece she had on the table was small, sure, but she never expected it to be the final result. "I've seen stunning centerpieces made of paper flowers. There are companies who specialize in paper flowers and they can make them quite big. One could even decorate the walls or frame the head table."

Thorne shrugged. "Sure. I just think it misses some sparkle to catch the eye, that's all." He went back to his side of the table and Kai and Cinder took their seats too. They had been talking to each other and Cress was annoyed she had missed it. She had no idea what they thought of her idea now.

It missed some sparkle to catch the eye - please. Taking a look at Cinder, Cress couldn't see her as the typical sparkly bride. Cress didn't want to force an aesthetic onto her that ultimately wasn't her. But what if she was wrong? Her second idea wasn't sparkly either. Cress shook her head - now wasn't the time for self-doubt.

She guessed that was it for her first idea though. She took a step to the right, closer to Thorne and his half of the table. She still refused to look at it though.

"Okay, now for my second idea, I thought it would be nice to bring in something from your culture. Or cultures." Cress was painfully aware that she didn't know anything about Cinder's background and she wished she had asked before. If she was honest with herself, she also didn't like the selection she had picked all that much. Some of it related to Kai's heritage and it worked more or less but Cress was actually imagining something else.

After considering for another second, Cress decided to trust her gut and ditch the initial idea. "Nevermind what you see in front of you. It's really the only thing I could find in this store. It's just generic Asian decor but I would like to develop a wedding theme that includes parts from your cultures. As Kai said, his family from China will be present, so this would be inclusive for them too."

"We are not very traditional though, Cress," Kai interjected.

Cress nodded. "I know. It doesn't have to be the whole theme but a few touches here and there. Something that is familiar to you. May it be the food or some customs that mean something to you. Whatever it is, we could give it a twist that will make your wedding special. This umbrella, for example." Cress picked up the oil-paper umbrella that she hadn't found a place for on the table and opened it and turned it upside down. "We could take lots of them and hang them on the ceiling. Maybe illuminate it from inside or hang things down from it. String lights or paper cranes ... or something  _sparkly_ ," she added with a defiant nod of her chin. "There are many ways to do a wedding that is inspired by your cultures that isn't so on the nose. And it would make it personal for you and your families."

She closed the umbrella again and set it aside. "It all depends on you and what you want. I can research into Chinese or Japanese wedding customs and look for inspiration. And I can do the same with your culture and what's important to your family, Cinder."

There was an uncomfortable silence. Cress felt like she had put her foot in her mouth except she didn't quite know why. She hoped she hadn't overstepped some boundary? But she had organized weddings where including customs was important to the couple so she at least wanted to suggest it to Kai and Cinder too.

Cinder squirmed in her seat as if she was put on the spot. Cress knew that feeling too well. She decided to continue as if nothing had happened.

"Or not. I just know from experience that some couples want to add some traditions from their culture that can be shared amongst the family. If you don't want that, the aesthetic alone could be approached minimalistically. Just a few touches here or there, maybe give it a modern twist."

"It's again a wonderful idea," Cinder started, though it wasn't as genuine as her response to the paper-theme wedding, Cress felt. "Very creative. I just–"she looked at Kai—"as Kai said, we're not very traditional. I mean Kai's family is but mine ..."

There was another long pause before Cinder shrugged and left it at, "It's complicated."

"Oh." Cress knew about complicated family relations so she didn't press on. She treaded on carefully. "Nevermind then. I just thought it could make your wedding both unique and meaningful. There are still ways to include some things you like even without going with the whole Asian theme. As I said, the food or specific flowers, like bamboo center pieces or peonies or —"

"No peonies!" Cinder interrupted her sharply. She instantly clapped her hand over her mouth.

An uncomfortable silence followed and Cress wondered what she had done wrong. Even Thorne, for once, kept quiet, scratching his neck.

Finally, Cinder looked up with a sad smile. "I'm sorry, Cress. Just ... no peonies."

Cress nodded. "No problem." She debated apologizing but then again, she didn't know for what. Kai reached over to Cinder's hand and rubbed it soothingly.

There wasn't much she could do now. Thanking Kai and Cinder, Cress stepped away from the table. It was time for Thorne's presentation.

Cress went to stand next to the couple and when she turned around, she saw for the first time what Thorne had prepared. Cress could only barely hold in a gasp.

It was spectacular.

Both his designs were grand, almost too grand for the little corner of the store. The centerpieces were stunning with a clear direction and color scheme. Cress didn't even know where he had found all that stuff.

Compared to his, Cress's side of the table looked poor and ill-thought out. She hadn't been happy with the second idea due to the lack of adequate decorations but even the paper flower idea she had loved so much now seemed bland.

Nothing like Thorne's.

"I, too, thought I would present you with two ideas. Let me start with this one." Thorne pointed to one of the arrangements with flourish. He looked like he stepped out of one of the bridal magazines - smart, charming and in control. There was no nervousness in his voice, as if he already knew that his idea would be the one to be picked.

Cress's mouth became dry.

"As you can see, the main color scheme is silver, white and, as the eye-catcher, petrol blue. The forms will be simple and sleek. Lots of square shapes." Cress saw that, indeed, the plates were square-shaped and the vase was a high, slim cylinder. The napkins, with the way everything was arranged, displayed clear square lines - if it had been possible, Cress was sure he would have picked square-shaped flowers too.

That's when Cress noticed that only a few plastic leaves were placed in the vase. "No flowers?"

"Good catch." Thorne looked through his phone and held up the picture of a white flower that was vaguely box-shaped, as far as Cress could tell. "Bouvardias in white. As long as they don't bloom, they look like tiny squares. Would work perfectly with the theme. It would all look very sleek, modern and chic." Thorne pocketed his phone again and leaned confidently over the back of a chair. "It would obviously work for the cake too. Or the way we arrange the tables. Simple, but effective."

"Cool." Cinder nodded approvingly. Cress noticed that she hadn't said anything like that about her ideas though she had been polite. Thorne knew Cinder for longer, though—knew her tastes better.

"Why the colors?" Cress couldn't help but ask. It didn't look very sparkly either, though the silver shimmered nicely.

Thorne shrugged. "Why not? It's the new trend of the year. Petrol goes well with a whole range of colors. It won't look horrible on the bridesmaids either, "he added with a wink.

Cress thought it was rather impersonal. She also followed current trends because many brides got inspired by them., but to pick a concept just because it was trendy would hardly work for every wedding.

Nevertheless, it looked great, she had to admit. A bit too cool for her tastes, as she would have gone with warm copper instead of silver. Antique candelabras, intricate swirls, keys as decorations ... lost in designing a wonderful new wedding scheme, Cress almost missed that Thorne had already started with his second idea.

"This one is obviously closer to a traditional wedding theme. I already brought a few things I prepared at home because I feel this could be the one that integrates best into the architecture and the grounds around Artemisia Hall."

Cress thought it was unfair that he already brought something with him, especially since he already knew the location. Cress would have liked to see it too, and not only from pictures off the Internet.

"The gardens outside, which we have also booked, have those wisteria trees. I suggest we bring the wisteria into the banquet hall too. Let the inside mirror the outside, so to speak. Decorate the whole ceiling with them so they hang over the guests. The purple would set off nicely with the light from chandeliers. On the tables, we could have an intricate candle-flower arrangement. String lights, crystals, the whole shebang."

Thorne looked rather proud of his second arrangement and Cress could see why. It had been her favorite out of the two right from the beginning. The main colors were purple and white, with crystals worked into the design - the sparkle Thorne had commented on before. It was a high centerpiece, wisterias on top and with delicate crystals, ornaments and glittering balls in many shapes and forms hanging around the slim base. White, long candles would illuminate the arrangement perfectly.

It was breathtaking.

Cress wasn't surprised when Kai and Cinder picked that one.


	9. Chapter 9

The rest of the day flew by for Cress. Kai and Cinder had helped them put the things back they had used for their presentation (aside from the stuff Thorne had - unfairly - brought from home). They had then all left for a nice bistro to catch up. Thorne had recounted their journey from Inyokern Airport, including their pretend relationship when Jina's group had picked them up (which earned him a reproach about how dangerous that had been from both Kai and Cinder). He had also told them about the onion-smelling owner and Señora Santiago and how she had fixed the Rampion. Cress had been dreading that he would reveal her inebriated state, including her embarrassing singing. But he easily skipped those parts and for that, Cress was grateful. She knew the story would have been funnier with it but he never touched about her less glamorous moments from yesterday.

Kai had asked her about Vermont and any new developments in her life but Cress hadn't been in the mood to talk about herself. She had briefly talked about her business, but was quick to steer the conversation to other things. She liked learning about Cinder, though after she had apparently put her foot in her mouth during her pitch, she refrained from asking too many questions.

She had also learned about some behind the scene moments from Kai's campaign and work in politics. It had been harder than Kai had expected. While his ratings had been good throughout, there had been severe backlash from the other party and especially their leader, a one Levana Blackburn. It had been a dirty campaign from her side and it was clear how much Kai had detested all the unnecessary media circus, instead of focusing on actual problems. But apparently, Levana Blackburn loved the attention of the media, especially if she could use it to drag one of her opponents. Cress was glad that Kai had won despite her scheming.

But Cress could hardly concentrate on the light conversation or the great food. She didn't want to be a sore loser either. Cress wasn't even mad at Thorne (okay, maybe a little) but mostly at herself. She knew she could have presented something great. Something stunning and personal you couldn't just find in any magazine.

And worst of all, she hadn't just failed herself. She had failed Kai too. Kai, who had been so generous and trusted her so much. What would he think of her now? Would he regret paying her when he could have just let Thorne do the whole thing himself?

It all boiled down to one question: Did she really need to be here?

Thorne seemed to be doing well on his own, which was something Cress never doubted before. He ran a successful business after all. But it felt like he didn't want her to be here. Wasn't interested in working with her. And that was what Cress had been hoping for.

Not trying to show her inner turmoils, she hoped everyone thought her somber mood was due to jetlag and a lack of sleep. Which wasn't completely wrong either. She  _was_ exhausted. Who knew, maybe after a good night's sleep things wouldn't look as grim as they did right now?

Kai and Cinder eventually left, both needing to work even though it was Saturday. Cinder needed to visit a property to take measurements and Kai had to attend a conference. They would meet again tomorrow at Artemisia Hall. Before they left, Kai once again reminded her which neighbor had kept Huy Deshal's keys so she could enter the apartment.

Cress would have to return to Thorne's apartment first though; her luggage was still there after all. She and Thorne hailed a cab since neither of them had a car.

Thorne's chattiness was gone now and an uneasy silence settled over them. Cress half-heartedly checked her emails and answered some on her phone. She could feel his eyes on her but he didn't say anything until they reached his apartment. They told the cab driver to wait, so Cress didn't have to hail another one to take her to her temporary residence.

"So, that went well, don't you think?" He leaned against his kitchen aisle with the kitten purring happily in his arms. From his cooing she had made out that its name was Boots. Which she had to admit was awfully cute. "One session and we have the concept. That leaves us plenty of time to organize the rest. I already worked on some ideas for the invitations so we could go over them on Monday."

"Hm," was all Cress said. She didn't doubt that he had already planned out more details though she did startle at his use of "we" and "us" since he had made it abundantly clear that there was no room for both of them.

He talked a bit more about the things "they" would need to do but Cress couldn't bring herself to join in. Instead, she focused on stuffing her belongings back into her suitcase, which she laid strewn around from her frenzy morning routine. When she was sure she had everything, she grabbed her suitcase before making her way towards Thorne.

"Thank you for letting me stay. And for picking me up." Feeling it was safer not to talk about anything that happened today, she instead leaned forward to scratch Boots affectionately behind her ears - which, as she was close enough, earned her a familiar nose boop. Despite her glum mood, Cress couldn't help but laugh. Nothing like a tiny playful kitten to lighten the mood. "And thank  _you_  for waking me," she cooed.

When she looked up at Thorne, Cress thought she saw a glimpse of guilt on his face. But then he quickly bent down to release Boots.

Cress turned to leave, with Thorne jogging two steps ahead of her to open the door for her, Boots weaving in and out between their legs. She was about to step into the hallway as Thorne held her back by her elbow.

"Cress, wait."

He waited until she turned around to face him before he let his hand fall to his side. Without his blazer and the hair losing some of its gelled-back shape, he looked less the professional wedding planner as he did at Regolith Décor. Less like someone who forced her out of a competition but more like Kai's charming friend who had been gallant enough to pick her up from the airport when she had no one to ask for help.

Cress had liked him way more then.

She waited for him to say something when he gave her a rueful smile.

"Listen, I know it probably didn't go how you expected but the main thing is that we have a concept, right? I wouldn't want you to be disappointed because Cinder and Kai didn't pick your idea."

Cress couldn't help but sigh. "Thorne, I'm not disappointed that my idea didn't get picked."

A raise of an eyebrow told her that he was surprised to hear that. "You're not?"

"No." Cress was tempted to leave it at that, to play along nicely. Leave it at an apology that she was just tired. But somehow actually being tired sapped her of the strength to do that. She settled for the truth. "You didn't wake me. You prepared things ahead. We were in a store you were familiar with but I wasn't. I only had twenty minutes and no chance to actually develop an idea how I usually would. I didn't do my job well and I love doing my job as well as I can."

He looked as if he wanted to say something but when Cress held her hand up, he let her continue.

"I  _love_ my job. I know you don't but it means a lot to me. I came here because ...," Cress trailed off for a second, not sure how to voice her decision to come to L.A. in a way he could understand. "Because Kai asked me to come so I could help you. I know I'm not as experienced as you. You're way ahead of me career-wise, I always knew that. But Kai told me that he wanted you to be his best man and hoped I could support you. Take over while you were occupied being the best man so you could be there for Kai."

Cress felt her throat tighten and hated the idea that she was close to tears. She didn't want to be emotional but she forced herself to say what was on her mind.

"I ... Thorne, I really hoped I could work with you. Learn from you. I thought you were someone whom I could relate to."

She took a long breath, releasing all the tension in her body. "But it's obvious that you don't need me here. You don't even  _want_ me here. And now I'm asking myself if I even have any reason to stay?"

There was a long silence. She didn't know why but she had hoped he would tell her that no, of course she should stay. That he needed her help. But he didn't say anything. He eyed her with a seriousness she hadn't seen from him before and that she couldn't place. But it helped her make up her mind.

"I just think maybe it would be better if I go back home."

And with that she turned and left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end.
> 
>  
> 
> Haha, just kidding. :P


	10. Chapter 10

Sometimes all it took was a good night's sleep to gain some new perspective. When Cress woke up in a comfortable bed (a luxury she hadn't had for two nights), she felt much more relaxed and optimistic than the day before.

Huy Deshal's apartment was small and quaint just like her own and had everything she needed. After getting ready (which included a hot shower to get rid of the last lingering plane smells and wearing one of her new summer dresses she bought for her trip to Los Angeles), she had plenty of time to take a short walk through the neighborhood where she found a cute little coffee shop. With a cup of coffee in one hand and a lemon poppy muffin in the other, Cress happily walked around until it was time to hail a cab that would take her to Artemisia Hall.

She had decided that even though things hadn't gone according to plan so far, she still could have a good time for the time being. Maybe Thorne didn't want to work with her, maybe he didn't even need her. Cress would stay for a few days and see how it went. She could head home later this week or the next and come back a few days before the wedding. It would be plenty of time for her to familiarize herself with the schedule for the ceremony so she could jump in as long as Thorne would be the best man. That way she could also get a few clients over the summer which would be good for her business too. It wasn't exactly what she had hoped for, but it seemed to be the best course of action.

When she arrived at Artemisia Hall, the building exceeded her expectations. Even from the outside, it looked much grander than in the pictures, but the light colors of the stones made it look warm and inviting. Two staircases encircled a water fountain and led up to the entry. On the other side, close to the beach, there was a conservatory and a garden full of wisteria trees, Cress knew.

It was a perfect wedding venue. Beautiful, idyllic ...

... and totally at odds with the sound of screeching tires behind her. When she turned around, Cress saw a blue sportscar spluttering towards the pavement and, after two attempts, eventually managed to get into the parking space.

Cress had no doubt who was driving that car.

"Hi Thorne."

He noticeably brightened when he saw her as he exited the car. "Good morning, Cress. Cinder and Kai not here yet?"

She shook her head, then pointed at the new car. "Is the new car broken already?" That was the politest way for her to allude to his erratic driving style which she only knew too well from their trip together.

Thorne waved his hand. "Nah, just haven't gotten the hang of it yet. I'll figure it out later." He climbed up the steps to meet her and gave her a dimpled smile. He hadn't gone for the sleek business look of yesterday, so Cress was happy that her colorful summer dress wouldn't seem too casual.

They stood a bit awkwardly next to each it other, so Cress pretended to inspect the water fountain. It wasn't turned on at the moment and she wondered how it would look if it were. She could spot some light installments and knew it would make a perfect spot for wedding pictures after sunset.

Cress felt, rather than heard, Thorne approach. "Say, Cress, about yesterday ..." There was an uncharacteristic pause. From the corner of her eyes, Cress saw him rubbing his neck uncomfortably. Cress would have lied saying that she didn't enjoy seeing him squirm a little bit.

Cress didn't know if Thorne had intended to defend himself or apologize to her. Whatever it was, he was interrupted by Kai and Cinder's arrival.

The four toured the grounds together which were at the moment being set up for an event later on. Thorne pointed out the layout and the most remarkable structural details - all of which Cress had already memorized from browsing the website. She tried to envision it with Thorne's ideas in mind as he spelled them out, using a folder to show them pictures or to write things down. Using a folder struck Cress as odd - after all, they lived in the digital age with so many handy apps ready to make their jobs easier. Instead Thorne carried his folder around with post-its and memos sticking out and meticulously took notes. Cress opened her tablet to do the same.

"And here at the center of the ceiling would be the light installation. We would adjust the lighting to the events, of course, so the light would be different during the ceremony, dinner, entertainment, etc. We still have to agree on some kind of entertainment for your guests ... if you haven't changed your mind about showing off your Terminator routine that is, eh, Cinder?" Thorne nudged Cinder conspiratorially.

Cinder made a face. "Can't I hope that you won't try to embarrass me for one day, Thorne?"

Thorne just grinned. "Nope, you're making it way too easy."

"Terminator, Cinder?" Kai asked, surprise and amusement evident in his voice. Cress was glad that, for once, that she wasn't the only one left out of loop. Yesterday, she hadn't fit into this tight-knit group of friends. They might not have known each other as long as she and Kai had but were much closer. After all, they all lived in the same city and spent a lot of time together.

Thorne told Kai about one of Cinder's drunken escapades after downing one too many of their friend's grandmother's peach schnaps (which made Cress less embarrassed about her own drunken singing at  _Oasis_ ). Cress might have heard of Scarlet before but all she could remember was that she and her husband, Ze'ev, would be the bridesmaid and groomsman, respectively.

"What do you think?" Thorne leaned over her shoulder as if to read her notes. "You like the venue?"

Cress nodded. "It's beautiful. The staircases, the ceiling, the decorations..." A sigh escaped her lips which she noted made Thorne smile. He seemed pleased by her reaction as if her approval of the venue meant a lot to him. Cress didn't know what to make of it.

"Well, then I can't wait to show you the rest. Your mind will probably explode."

Cress's mind didn't explode but she was delighted by the rest of Artemisia Hall all the same. There was a conservatory attached to the main banquet hall. Usually, it served as a restaurant for the public but it would be great for the reception. That way, after the ceremony, the guests could get some refreshments there and mingle about while the main hall would be rearranged for the feast. The gardens were just as amazing with its wisteria trees and little pathways, with the main one leading down to the beach.

Cress let herself forget about the last two days and the friends behind her and excitedly ran down to it with a squeal. The waves greeted her as her feet sank into the wet sand.

The sunshine, the beach, the sea - it all made her trip worthwhile after all.

* * *

"Do you have any idea where Thorne is taking us?"

Neither Cress nor Cinder had an answer for Kai's question. They were at the moment trailing Thorne's car in Kai's with only Thorne knowing where they would end up. Cress had decided to drive with Kai and Cinder, not least because she deemed Kai the safer driver (he was).

Cinder crossed her arms. "I don't like this. I don't like this at all."

"What do you mean?" Cress asked.

"I don't trust Thorne's surprises. Nothing good has ever come out of them."

"Like the one time he planned a surprise party for you but you heard noises from your apartment and called the cops?" Kai ventured.

"Yeah."

"Or when he wanted to surprise Ze'ev at his construction site but scared him into falling off the scaffold and broke his leg?"

Cress could see Cinder's expression darken even more. "Yeah."

"Or like the time he invited us to watch his vacation video and accidentally played porn instead? And that 'us' included Scarlet's grandma?"

There was the distinct sound of grinding teeth now. "Yeah."

Cress had to stifle a laugh, as she had the feeling Cinder wouldn't appreciate it. For once she didn't mind being kept out of the loop. She would have died of embarrassment if she had been present. How a renowned event planner could be so abysmal at planning, well,  _events_  was beyond her. Probably because he hadn't gotten paid for them. In any case, Cress hoped she would survive Thorne's surprise without broken bones or accidental pornos.

Finally, Thorne turned and parked in a mostly empty parking lot with Kai following suit. He led them towards one of the buildings but Cress guessed that neither Kai nor Cinder had ever been here before. Where was Thorne taking them?

Thorne pointed to one of the buildings and told the couple to go ahead. He fell in line with Cress who walked behind them. "I'll walk with you. That way we can tackle Cinder to the ground together if she plans to escape," he whispered conspiratorially in her ear.

Cress doubted Cinder had heard him but she still shot them a suspicious glance over her shoulder. Cress could only shrug helplessly. She had no idea why they would even need to tackle Cinder to the ground and slowly became nervous for her friend's fiancée.

The building was inconspicuous except for the music playing loud enough to be heard on the staircase. It was only when they reached the third floor and read the sign on the door that they realized where Thorne had taken them.

A dance school.

Cress didn't think that warranted all the secrecy involved in getting them here when she heard a loud groan from Cinder as she tried bolting down the stairs again. She would have succeeded (Cress doubted she could have stopped the taller woman) but Thorne had already anticipated the move and turned her back towards the door and knocked on it, Cinder's shoulder firmly in his grasp.

"No chance, Cinder. You won't get out of this. Not this time," he told her sternly, obviously alluding to some other failed dance lesson. He pointed at Kai. "You, Kai, are the epitome of the modern gentleman and everything one could ask for in a dance partner. A light-footed dreamboat really." Kai's ears turned a nice shade of pink but before he could respond, Thorne had already turned to Cinder. "You, on the other hand, are the reason the swan died at the end."

"Hey!" Cress interjected but Cinder didn't seem insulted. Instead her expression became even more sullen.

"I hate you, Thorne."

Thorne pressed a quick kiss to her cheek. "I know."

With a long sigh and a defiant raise of her chin, Cinder appeared to resign herself to her fate just in time for the door to open.

Cress wondered if Thorne surrounded himself with any women who were anything less than stunning. Because the woman standing in the doorway? Exactly that. Stunning from head to toe. No small feat when the distance between head to toe seemed to be about 5'10 in height. Cress had to accept that California seemed to be a breeding ground for real-life elves.

"Hey, Carswell," the woman greeted Thorne with a kiss on his cheek.

" _Cars-well_ ," mimicked Cinder under breath. Cress could see Kai reaching over and giving her hip a slight squeeze.

"Morning, Elia." He gave her nose an affectionate tweak. "And I told you, I go by Thorne now."

Elia smiled, revealing a perfect dimple in her cheek. "I've known you since you were a head shorter than me. Old habits die hard, you know."

Thorne laughed. "A fact I know only too well."

They walked in together as Elia's hand wound itself around Thorne's elbow. They finally stood in a huge dance studio with mirrors lining the walls. There were no other people present so Cress assumed that Kai and Cinder would have a private lesson. She had no idea why she needed to be there except maybe to sit by and watch.

"Guys, this is Elia," Thorne introduced the black-haired woman. "She's going to be our dance instructor today and honestly, she is  _phen-o-men-al_."

Elia giggled. "Stop it. I mean it's true but still."

Cress caught Cinder's gaze and the two shared a look. Suddenly, just sitting by and watching didn't sound too bad.

Meanwhile, Kai shook Elia's hand. "Pleased to meet you and thanks for the lesson. Is this your dance studio?"

Elia shook her head which made her raven locks swing enticingly around her hips. "No, not yet. I only recently came back to L.A. as a dance instructor. I toured the last few years but you can't perform forever."

Kai nodded. "Yes, I heard it's demanding. Your focus is ballroom dancing or ...?"

"Yes, though I always dabbled in other styles too. I had dance lessons since I was a kid and was our school's pep squad captain before I went to a dance academy in Philadelphia."

"You went to school with Thorne?" Cress asked. Apparently, that was news to Kai and Cinder too.

"Yes. He was quite the charmer then too. Always playing us poor girls - just enough to keep us interested but never enough to commit to any of us. Horrible, really." She waggled her finger at Thorne. "Shame on you, Carswell."

Thorne, Cress noted, didn't look ashamed in the least. He bounced on his heels and clapped his hands. "So much for introductions and sharing memories. I think it's time to start. Elia, the floor is yours." He bowed dramatically which made Elia giggle.

"Same old Carswell — sorry, Thorne. Okay, first you need the right shoes since you will dance in high heels too and it just gives you better posture."

Cinder snapped her fingers in mock disappointment. "Too bad, I didn't know I would need my 'high-heels' so I didn't bring them with me."

The way she said 'high-heels' made Cress believe that Cinder didn't actually own a pair.

However, Elia just smiled knowingly. "No worries, Thorne told me in advance to prepare." She pointed to the wall furthest from them where a whole array of slinky high-heels were neatly set up. "Thorne also told me you weren't likely to wear shoes with more than three inches so I borrowed some from the beginner's class. We'll start with the basic steps and then you'll dance together until we have a good foundation to work with. Just pick your size and then we can start."

She turned to Cress and Thorne. "I might borrow you for demonstrations, Thorne. I remember you were quite the dancer in high school. But you can both take a seat in the meantime."

Cress had the feeling that Elia had no idea that Cress would be coming or what to do with her now that she was here. Cress had no problem sitting down and watching though.

That's when she noticed Cinder shaking her head at her and discreetly pointing to the line of shoes, mouthing 'please'. The unspoken plea was clear - she wanted Cress to join.

That hadn't been part of her plan. Cress wasn't generally as opposed to dancing as Cinder seemed to be but Cress felt like a third wheel already. She doubted sharing the dance floor with the couple would help that. Then again, Cress hardly ever had the heart to say 'no' to a bride's wishes.

"Um," Cress started, " maybe I could participate too? Refreshing ... some old lessons?"

"Sure." Elia shrugged. "We won't do anything complicated though."

"That's okay." Cress followed Cinder to change into suitable dancing shoes. She hoped the smallest size would fit her.

Cinder had already picked a pair and was sitting on the floor to as she tried to work out the clasp on a pair of golden pumps. "Thank you for taking part too. I feel less like a fool then," Cinder mumbled so the other three wouldn't hear.

"No problem." Cress realized that it was the first time she'd talked to Cinder alone. Usually not one to approach people, she nevertheless wanted to take the chance to get to know Kai's fiancée a bit better. "You don't like dancing then?"

Cinder shrugged. "I like it just fine if it's in a club. With flat shoes, cool music ... yeah, I can hop around to that. But I'm no good at the kind of dance Elia is apparently  _phen-o-me-nal_  at," she said, mimicking Thorne.

"Hm. You know, you don't have to have a first dance. You can do something else if you feel uncomfortable. I'm sure Kai will understand."

A blush spread over Cinder's face. "Well ... I do love dancing with Kai. He's way better at it than me. We usually just shuffle around but when I dance with him" — a dreamy smile played on her lips as if she was lost in some memory — "I feel so secure. Less clumsy or awkward. Like I'm the best version of myself."

Cress didn't say anything for a long time, considering Cinder's words.

Cinder must have taken her silence the wrong way because she quickly added, "Sorry that was mushy."

"No!" Cress hurried to say. "Not at all. I was just thinking how beautiful that sounded. That's how everyone should feel with the person they're going to marry. As if they're the best version of themselves with them."

Cinder pursed her lips. "It's still mushy."

Cress laughed. "I would call it romantic. So, you actually want to have a first dance then?"

"I guess." Cinder shook her head in determination. "Yes, I want it."

"Then it's a good thing Thorne got you this lesson." Once more, Cress realized how much better Thorne knew Cinder even when he teased her. But he knew her well enough to know when to push her into the things she wanted apparently. "I'm sure he knows you wouldn't want complicated choreography. Elia even said it wouldn't be too complicated. But this way you will have some basic steps to fall back on if you're not sure what to do next."

"You're right. And Thorne is probably right too." Cinder propped herself up, testing her shoes before offering Cress a hand to help her up. "But don't tell him I said that."

* * *

"So, we have basically two options for our steps. Both are easy but they have a different tempo and rhythm."

Elia was standing in front of the mirror with their back to them - of course, they could still see her and follow her instructions through her reflection.

Behind her, Kai, Cinder, Cress and Thorne had lined up with some space between them. Cress had been surprised when Thorne had joined them and said something about not wanting them to have all the fun before he took the spot next to Cress.

"There's either a slow shuffle," Elia demonstrated some simple swaying from side to side, "or if you want it to look more choreographed, a basic Rumba step." Another demonstration with one foot going back, the other following suit to tip down for a second and then do the same one foot forward. It was easy enough though Elia's impeccable form made it look much fancier than it was.

"We would work on them and then build upon it with some twirls. It depends what you prefer - a slower, natural dance or a quick choreography?"

Either way, Cress thought these were the easiest steps she had ever seen. She had watched couples work out intricate choreographies. With a dance instructor, Cress had expected a Viennese Waltz. Those steps she could have taught Cinder and Kai herself. Thorne must have drilled Elia to keep it as simple as possible. That way Cinder and Kai could focus entirely on each other and didn't have to concentrate on their routine. Cress had the feeling that this was what Cinder preferred.

"We don't have a song yet. But ...," Kai looked at Cinder with a smile so cute Cress wanted to squeal. "I think we would like the slow shuffle."

"Smooch music. Good choice."

Cress had to stifle a giggle at Thorne's comment. She guessed that was one way to describe it.

"I have the perfect music for that." Thorne handed Elia a flash drive and when she plugged it in a familiar, slow tuned played.

 _When I found you, I found somebody who cares_  
When I found you, I found my most intimate prayer  
When I found you, I found what every heart dreams of  
When I found you, I found love.

Cress instantly recognized it as the song Kai and Cinder danced to (and, according to Thorne, did a bit more than just that) during Kate's wedding. Even Cress had to admit it was one of the cheesier songs.

"That's  _not_ the song we will be dancing to!" Cinder huffed.

"No?" Kai seemed surprised to hear that.

Cinder looked as if Kai had just proposed they live on the moon. "Kai, you can't seriously want to dance to that!?"

Kai rubbed his neck. "I don't know. It  _was_ the first song we danced to. Don't you think that makes it special?" He looked over at Cress. "What do you say?"

"Um, I don't think you have to pick the first song you danced to. Otherwise many first dances of the weddings I have planned would have included "Zombie" by The Cranberries or something by the Black Eyed Peas."

"Yeah, not every first song is predestined to be  _the_ song. Like imagine Cress and I getting married. We would have to dance to a Nancy Sinatra medley," Thorne joked with a wink at Cress.

Kai and Cinder's eyes got big. "Why a Nancy Sinatra medley?" Kai asked.

"Ah, we heard it on the radio on the way here," he told them with a wave of his hand. Cress was once again struck by Thorne being considerate enough not to embarrass her in front of Kai and Cinder when he didn't have the same qualms about Cinder.

Kai seemed pleased with that answer but Cinder looked weirdly at Thorne. "I've never once heard you talk about marriage. Not once." She shuddered as if the thought alone creeped her out. "It's wrong."

"You're just sad you let this fine specimen slip through your fingers."

Cinder rolled her eyes. "Please, I dodged a bullet. No one wants you."

"Everyone wants me."

"Uhm, guys?" Elia cleared her throat. "Maybe we should get started? We can pick the right song later. We'll just go with some slow music I have on my flash drive for now."

Elia picked an instrumental version of some pop song and started her lesson. "So, the shuffle I'm sure I don't need to teach you. You just sway from side to side and the man will lead his partner in circles. But to change things up a bit, I'll show you some easy twirls you can add to your dance. Nothing difficult, but if you learn it now, it will look effortless. And you won't be surprised by the movement," she added with a glance to Cinder.

"I'll show you the twirls right away then." She beckoned Thorne to come and moved them into a dancing position. "Kai will put his hand on Cinder's shoulder blade. That makes it look more formal and makes it easier for him to lead her. Cinder can then follow his lead."

"Which will probably the last time that happens during their marriage," Thorne cackled. He focused then on matching Elia's steps. They easily swayed through the room.

With Thorne as her partner, Elia showed them an under-the-arm twirl, then a roll-out and a simple dip - all done to perfection. It was simple, elegant and would look good enough for one song. Elia then walked over to Kai and Cinder and moved them into position.

"Shall we?"

Cress blinked in surprise. Thorne had walked back to where Cress was standing and offered her his hand, obviously asking her to be his partner.

"You want to dance ... with me?"

"Seeing that I'm standing in front of you with no one else around, I'd say yes." He smiled at her. "Unless you see some other pretty lady I could ask?"

When Cress didn't say anything, he hurried to add, "And obviously, we need to show those two over there how it's done."

"Ha, as if," Kai objected. He was leading Cinder, who looked less nervous than before. She easily followed Kai's lead and her first attempts at being twirled and dipped started to look confident. "Maybe you can learn a thing or two from us,  _Carswell_."

"That was a clear challenge. Cress, we have to reciprocate!" And without waiting for her, he took her hand in his and pulled her closer. His other hand rested on the lower part of her back before Cress knew it.

"Ah-ah, Thorne," Elia said disapprovingly. "Hands up to the shoulder blade. We don't grope, we lead." The phone rang and Elia made a motion that she would take the call outside.

Thorne sighed but dutifully placed his hands on Cress's shoulder blade. "For the record, I wasn't trying to grope."

And with that, Thorne led her into a dance that mimicked the one Kai and Cinder were currently dancing.

Cress had to admit, Thorne was an exceptional dancer. Sure, the steps were easy enough but he moved with the same confidence and ease with which he apparently did everything. Cress didn't think she had ever danced with a partner this good. She felt like she was floating, each step matching perfectly and by the time he shifted her slightly for a roll-out, Cress already felt like a movie star from the 40s.

But Thorne and Kai apparently hadn't been joking about the challenge. The two men locked eyes ever so often, sizing each other up. They were clearly trying to outdo each other, each twirling and dipping their partners more and more dramatically. Cress had an easier time keeping up than Cinder but still, she had to adjust to Thorne's faster speed too. Kai too didn't care all that much about the romantic, slow shuffle anymore.

Cress started to lose any sense of direction. Thorne's hands steadied her well enough but she certainly didn't feel like a movie star anymore. More like a spinning top.

When the music came to an end, Cress was glad. She prepared herself for the last dramatic dip Thorne surely intended for the big finish ...

... as did Kai with Cinder in close proximity. How Cress knew? Because as she twirled into a low dip, she crashed into a pony-tailed head with her own.

"Ouch!"

"Ow!" Pain exploded in the back of Cress's head and she disentangled herself from Thorne's hands as quickly as possible. She heard Kai and Thorne apologize profusely to both of them for not having calculated the distance correctly. When Cress looked up she saw Cinder furiously rubbing her forehead.

"You idiots! You stupid guys with your stupid competitions!" Cinder raised one leg, trying her best to get her shoes off as quickly as possible. "Why does everything have to turn into a dumb competition with you two?" She threw the first shoe towards the wall where it slithered perfectly into the line of other shoes. "If I have an ugly bruise on my forehead during the wedding, I'm going to throw the both of you into the closest lake."

"Cinder? Concerned about a bruise?" Thorne chuckled which Cress thought was unwise. "What's next, will you be worried about your fingernails too?"

"Watch it, Thorne!" She threw the other shoe, only barely missing Thorne's shoulder, but Cress had the feeling she didn't want to hit Thorne as she had proven with the other shoe that her aim was really good. Cress couldn't say she would have minded if her aim had been a bit off though.

"Oh come on, Cinder." Kai tried to approach her but backed off with his raised hands when Cinder narrowed her eyes at him in warning. "It was all in good humor. See, one can hardly see any bruise at all."

"Well, not thanks to you." Cinder stomped off to get her shoes and bag. "You know what, you can finish that dance lessons together. Or arm wrestle, or, or ... see who can pee further. I'm out."

She turned to Cress and her features softened. "Want to come with me? Leave those idiots?"

Cress was surprised. "Um, sure?" She hurried to slip off the dancing shoes and grab her belongings.

In the meantime, Cinder asked Kai for his car keys which he handed to her without a word of objection. She turned to leave the room as Elia came back in, confused as to why Cinder was on her way out. Cinder thanked her for the lesson and beckoned Cress to follow her.

Before she left, Cress turned to the guys once more. "She's right, you know. That was neither the time or place for a competition." She turned to look at Thorne. "I mean, by now I wouldn't expect anything different from you but you ..." She shook her head at Kai in disappointment. "I would have expected more from you."

She hurried to catch up with Cinder.


	11. Chapter 11

"You want a beer?" Cress heard Cinder ask as she rummaged through the fridge. "There's also, uh, coke and orange juice. There should be some wine too ..."

"A coke is fine," Cress quickly replied, taking in the home Kai and Cinder had made for themselves.

Cinder closed the fridge, handing Cress a can of coke and keeping one for herself. "You want to eat here at the table? We also have a balcony and some really nice recliners. I don't know about you but I'd love to just put up my feet and relax. What do you think?"

Eating outside in such great weather sounded amazing, actually. Together, they grabbed their boxes and went for the balcony. They had each picked a pizza with a few appetizers and easily shared pizza slices, mozzarella balls and bread sticks between them. Cress hadn't realized how hungry she had been.

The balcony was spacious enough for the two recliners and even a few potted plants. Tomatoes, peas, cucumbers and a few herbs - as Cinder pointed them out, Cress learned that they had been presents from their friends Scarlet and Ze'ev. Apparently, they also came by as often as they could to look after the plants, otherwise, Cinder explained, neither she nor Kai had the time or knowledge to really care about them.

It was cozy, and they both leaned back after they had eaten with a contented sigh. Unlike the awkward pauses they had endured in the car, Cress felt this was silence was more relaxed as they both soaked in the sun.

It was Cinder who broke the silence. "I'm so stressed out."

Cress raised an eyebrow. "Stressed out? Because of the wedding?" Because as far as Cress could tell, Cinder hadn't done anything for the wedding so far that would warrant her being stressed out.

Cinder nodded, her eyes still closed. "I know I haven't done anything yet. And you and Thorne will handle most of it anyway. Maybe stressed isn't the right word."

"Nervous, maybe?" Cress supplied. That seemed more likely in Cress's opinion.

Cinder considered. "I think so. There's just so much to take into account. I usually tune out when Thorne starts talking about his job but boy, did I underestimate it. Iko -that's my maid of honor- is already badgering me about everything. If not for her, I wouldn't have the guest list or my dress at this point. She basically dragged me from shop to shop the week after Kai proposed."

Cress was eager to hear about the dress—what kind of gown would a bride like Cinder pick?—but it was more important to allay Cinder's fears first. "But that's why Thorne and I are here for. There's no need to worry. You already picked a great concept and you have a beautiful venue. Thorne knows what he's doing."

"I know. And I was really mean to Thorne today," Cinder confessed, suddenly looking guilty. Cress hadn't expected that. "Thorne has the great talent to both anchor me in stressful situations so I get through them but also rub me the wrong way with his jokes. He's super supportive but also so,  _so_ annoying."

Cress had assumed that this was how Cinder and Thorne generally interacted as friends, so she wasn't surprised by Cinder's words. She chose her next words carefully. "I'm sure Thorne knows that. Not only because he's your friend but also, as a wedding planner, he is used to working with stressed-out brides."

"Seriously, who would ever want to have a job where they work with snappy brides 24/7? No offense," she quickly added.

Cress laughed. "No worries. Believe me, there are days when I ask that myself. But it's always worth it when you see everything come together on the day of the wedding. When the bride sees everything for the first time and knows it's her wedding, with all the little details that make it special for her and she tells me it's the best day of her life - then I know I did my job well. And then it's worth everything that came before. Those are the moments I remember."

"You know," Cinder started as if a thought occurred to her as she leaned over to look at Cress, "it's a bit like when I design a building? I sketch and design and it's stressful in the beginning because sometimes the clients change ideas and sometimes tenant's associations have all those regulations and stuff. But then I visit during the construction and see it coming together and when it's finally done, I'm so proud that the rest doesn't matter anymore. It's kinda similar, right?"

"Absolutely."

"I doubt that Thorne feels the same way about it, though."

"Ha, no." Only two days ago Cress had been convinced that Thorne shared her passion for their job. Now it seemed laughable. "But still, you're in very good hands. Thorne knows what he's doing and he knows you. He'll make sure everything goes smoothly. You don't need to worry."

"I guess." Cinder took a sip of her coke, changing the topic. "By the way, Iko is so excited to meet you."

Cress was puzzled. "Me? Why?"

"Oh, she's convinced your life is exactly like ... who was the actress in  _The Wedding Planner_?"

"Jennifer Lopez?"

Cinder nodded. "That's the one. Iko thinks your life is just like in the movie and she wants to see you in action - preferably on the arms of that hot guy in the movie who swept you off your feet," she added with a roll of her eyes.

Cress hesitated for a few seconds, choosing her next words carefully. "I hope she won't be too disappointed then. My life isn't really like that. I doubt it's any wedding planner's life really." Cress had to explain that a few times already. Most people only saw the decorations and thought that was the whole job. Instead the job had many less than glamorous sides which most people didn't see: From climbing on chairs during rain just to lift up a canopy to repairing clogged toilets. Fixing holes in the wedding dress (or altering it altogether), hot ironing jackets and quickly putting together boutonnières and hair ornaments out of the flowers from the center pieces. Booking last minute fireworks or hot air balloon rides. Counting the linens, chair covers, napkins and more. Long after the party was over and the guests were gone. No, Jennifer Lopez hadn't shown the real-life experience of a wedding planner in her movie - the high heels alone were a joke. Flat shoes were a must if you were on your feet all day.

"Be sure to tell Iko that because otherwise she won't believe it."

"Uh, sure?" Eager to change the topic, Cress decided to ask about the dress instead. "So, you found your dress already? What does it look like?"

"Iko could describe it way better than me. She would know the names for the cut and fabric. But wait, I have pics." Cinder scrambled from her recliner and went inside the house. Cress heard her rummaging for awhile, happy that Cinder was willing to share pictures of her wedding gown with her.

Cinder came back, not only carrying her phone but also a stack of photos. She took a seat on Cress's recliner rather than on her own. "Kai and I had planned to make a photo album for our wedding—"

"How wonderful!"

"—except that we really don't have time. And talent. Seriously, those scrapbooks people post online look like professionals did them."

"I could send you some websites that help you with that. It's not as hard as it looks."

"Cool. But we still don't have the time. And I doubt I have the patience for it anyway. Let's see ...," Cinder looked through the stacks of photos. "The seamstress is my friend's mother, so I could tell her what I wanted and she adjusted it for me. I wanted it to look like the dress I wore for the engagement party—"

"What is that?" Cress pointed to the picture of a car. What did that have to do with the wedding scrapbook?

There was a proud glint in Cinder's eyes. "That's my car. Or, it's going to be my car when I'm done with all the repairs."

Something clicked in Cress's mind. "That's the car you got from the junkyard, right? Kai told me you found it and are working on it to get it running again." Cress looked at it again. It was a funny looking, bright orange VW Beetle. Not the car Cress would have picked for Cinder. Between her and Thorne, Cress wondered if all of Kai's friends had such a peculiar taste in cars. "Did Thorne help you with the restoration?"

Cinder laughed good-naturedly until she realized that Cress's question had been serious. "Wait, you're joking, right? Why would you think Thorne helped me with the car?"

"He told me he's good with cars as we were driving back to L.A." Several times, actually, even after he had unsuccessfully tried to fix the Rampion. But Cinder's reaction told her that it was another of Thorne's cocky lies. Figures.

Cinder snorted. "Of course, he would. Thorne think he's good with everything. Cars, women, whatever. No, Cress, believe me Thorne is not good with cars."She sighed as she looked the picture. "I really love how it's coming together. I saw it and I knew right away that this is the car I wanted to have. I sold my old one and soon I can drive this one around. Thorne thought I was crazy. He says it looks like a pumpkin on wheels."

Cress had to admit, Thorne wasn't exactly wrong about that. She still liked the car; it had personality. "And that's the car that will get you to Artemisia Hall?"

"What? Oh no, it really doesn't fit. I'm sure people will be weirded out if I stepped out of it. Maybe I'll rent something. And old-timer or a simple sports car. Whatever."

Cress could hear that Cinder was hardly enthusiastic about that prospect though. "But ... why not? You clearly love this car, so why shouldn't it be the one you drive in on your wedding day?"

"I don't want to agree with Thorne more than once a day but he really has a point. It does look like a pumpkin on wheels. And bridal cars should be more elegant and not look like a driving vegetable. Or are pumpkins considered fruit?"

"Fruit," Cress answered absent-mindedly. She didn't agree with Cinder but didn't quite know how to word it. After mulling over several options, she decided to say it how she saw it. "I don't know but I don't think you have to have a certain kind of car if it doesn't mean much to you. But you're clearly excited about your own car."

Cinder sighed. "I don't know. I also don't want anyone else to drive my car, you know? Even I haven't driven it yet."

"Call me crazy but ... why don't you drive yourself then?" Cress proposed.

Her eyes becoming almost comically huge, Cinder stared at Cress in disbelief. "On my wedding day?"

"Sure. I don't see why not?"

"Cress, that's a fun idea, but I really don't think our guests will get why I'm driving my own weird car on my wedding day."

"They don't have to?" It was strange for her to think that a bride would really try to deny herself everything she might want from a wedding on the off-chance that her guests disagreed with it. Usually, the day was all about the bride and her wishes. No, that wouldn't do. "Cinder, it's  _your_ wedding. You should be able to have the things  _you_ want. Believe me, most guests are just there for the food and the music. The ones who are there for you, don't you think they want to see you happy?"

"I guess." But Cress could see that Cinder wasn't entirely convinced.

"You can do whatever you want, of course. But I really think you should have the wedding you want and not care what everyone else thinks. Sometimes you have to put yourself and your wishes first."

There was a strange expression on Cinder's face that Cress couldn't place. She hoped she hadn't overstepped some boundaries when Cinder took out another pic from the stack. It was faded with worn corners like it had been held a lot and showed a young teenage girl smiling excitedly at the camera.

"This is my half-sister. What you just said sounds exactly what she would tell me over and over again." Despite the obvious fondness of her smile, Cress could hear Cinder struggling to get the words out. There was a story there that Cress had no idea about and that made her cautious of what to say next.

"That sounds like great advice, especially for someone so young." The girl in the picture didn't look as similar to Cinder as Cress would have assumed from their relationship. Her hair was much darker, especially against the paler skin. But she did have the same raise of the eyebrows as if to challenge the person taking the picture. "What's her name?"

A long pause. "Peony."

Peony. The name rang a bell even though Cress couldn't tell why until it hit her. Cinder had been vehemently against peonies when Cress had suggested them. Then there had been this awkward pause ... oh.

Peony, Cinder's half-sister, must have died at some point. That was the only explanation for it. No wonder Cinder didn't care much for flowers that reminded her of that. Cress really wished Kai had told her at some point - she never would have suggested peonies if she had known.

Cress didn't know what to say when Cinder broke the silence. "She was diagnosed with leukemia shortly after this picture was taken. I never had a good relationship with my step-mom and step-sister. My father died years before and I didn't know him all that well to begin with. He was often gone and was mostly focused on his work. I only ever had a good relationship with Peony after I came to live with my dad. For the longest time, she was the only family I'd ever known."

"You didn't grow up with him?"

Cinder shook her head. "It's a long story and I don't really know enough of it since I was so young. But my father had an affair with my mother even though he was already married. My mother became pregnant but my father obviously stayed with Adri - that's my stepmom." Cinder's clipped tone made it clear that they probably didn't have the warmest of relationships. However, Cress remembered seeing the names of Adri and Pearl Linh on the guest list. "Anyway, shortly after my birth, my mom died and I ended up in an orphanage until my father came for me and I started living with his family."

Cress was surprised to hear all of that. It was obvious why Kai wouldn't share something like that over the phone. Cress knew it was her turn to say something but had trouble coming up with something. She had the feeling Thorne would know exactly what to say in any situation. "Your new family didn't make it easy for you?"

A harsh laugh. "No, not really. Except for Peony, as I said. She and I were really close. But then she started to feel sick and never got better. The doctors diagnosed her and referred her from specialist to specialist but nothing they did worked. I don't think they cared all that much. She always told me about the things she wanted to do and reminded me to always go for the things I wanted no matter what anyone thought. Because she wouldn't get a chance to do any of it."

Watching Cinder caressing the corners of the photo, Cress knew she had to open up too to find the right words. "Cinder ... I'm sure you know how Kai and I met? Like, he told you that I was sick too? For a really long time?" It was not something Cress usually shared on her first one-on-one with a stranger. But Cinder wasn't a stranger, not really. Especially not after sharing so much of herself with Cress.

It was easy to see the conflict on Cinder's face: she didn't want to lie to Cress but also didn't want to say anything that would make it seem like Kai had shared something that wasn't his to share. If Cress were in her place, she would struggle all the same. She smiled encouragingly. "It's okay. It's no big secret."

"I don't know much," Cinder hurried to say. "Just that you were in a clinic a lot because of cancer as a kid. The same clinic where Kai's mother was treated."

A few sentences that outlined Cress's childhood in the simplest terms. Cress knew, of course, that it hadn't been quite so simple. It was one thing to know about it, another to have lived it.

Cress looked at the picture in Cinder's hands, feeling a strange kinship with the girl. Peony, who hadn't known what a drastic turn her life would take; meanwhile Cress couldn't remember a time from her childhood when she hadn't been confined to a hospital bed. The endless examinations, treatments, therapies - one more drastic than the one before.

And yet, Cress had made it while Cinder's sister hadn't. Like so many other kids Cress had shared the children's ward with. But Cress was here, living and breathing and healthy. Her hands went to her long locks, twisting them between her fingers for reassurance.

"I spent years in the clinic, mostly alone. My mother left the family soon after the diagnosis and my dad obviously had to work. I shouldn't have been happy that Kai's mother was sick and they had to visit the clinic so often but it was nice having him around. Someone who was healthy and was allowed to go to a regular school and do regular stuff." Cress remembered the times she had convinced Kai to let her do his homework for him. No matter the subject, Kai had come back with the best grades on his papers. It had made Cress proud especially since he was two years older than her. "But I always told myself that whenever I would get healthy again, I would only do the things I'd like and always dreamed about doing."

"Is that why you became a wedding planner?"

"Yes. Many people told me not to do it. That I was smart and should learn something practical and sensible. But I loved weddings and so that's what I went for. I didn't want to compromise just to please others." Cress stopped herself before she rambled on about her life. She didn't want the mood to become sad and depressed because of her. She just wanted to make a point to Cinder. "Anyway, that's just my opinion. You know best what works for you. I just mean, it's your day. You should get what you want." She smiled encouragingly at Cinder before pointing at the stack of photos. "Now, I'd love to see the dress."

"Oh, sure." Cinder went searching through the pics. "And Cress?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you." Cinder handed Cress a picture of her in a wedding dress. "Iko insisted on taking that pic. She said it was good practice for the wedding photos," Cinder told Cress with a laugh. "Not sure about that but you can't say 'no' as fast as Iko picks up her phone."

The dress was beautiful. Cress had assumed that Cinder would go for something very simple and sleek and in a way, it was - no ruffles, tulle or sparkling beads or sequins. But it was a stunning dress in an A-line silhouette; silk shimmered through the delicate lace, none of it overbearing. The most prominent detail was the mandarin collar and the capped sleeves, giving the dress a sense of sophistication. It wasn't playful but still young and modern.

Cress instantly loved it and more than that, she loved how Cinder looked in it. It was obvious she didn't feel comfortable posing but she still had an easy smile on her face. Cress knew then that the dress was perfect for her.

"I love that you took the time to print it out. Especially if you come around to making that wedding album." The more Cress looked at the photo, the more she felt that the dress looked oddly familiar. She was sure she had never seen the dress itself but something about it ...

"Yes, I thought it would go well with images from Kai's parents."

"Kai's parents?"

Cinder nodded, handing Cress another photo, this one clearly older than the ones before. Cress instantly recognized it. It was an image of Kai's parents at their engagement party. She had seen the image a lot when she had visited Kai's mother in her hospital room sometimes. Mrs. Prince had always been happy to have Cress visit and showed her the photos on her nightstand.

Yawen Prince had been stunning, her smile inviting the eyes to linger on her. She wore a beautiful dress with a mandarin collar and capped sleeves. The skirt was shorter and the colors of the fabric a wonderful mix of sea-foam green, teal blue and sunset orange, but it was still clear that Cinder had been inspired by the dress for her own.

"I wore her dress for my own engagement party. Kai's father gave it to me as if he was welcoming me to the family." Cinder's tone revealed how much that must have meant to her. "The same way his father's family had welcomed his wife into the family."

She offered Cress two more photos: One of Kai and Cinder's own engagement party where Cinder wore the dress. Kai had emailed it to her and Cress should have recognized the dress then. And one image with faded colors of Kai's grandparents.

Three generation of women, all of them wearing the same beautiful dress on their engagement party. Three families using a dress as a family heirloom to welcome the brides into their new family. Three happy couples.

Cress felt her heart rate picking up as the wheels in her head slowly started turning. She only half-listened to what Cinder was saying, her own thoughts racing.

"... and I never would have worn a dress like that. But it fit me so well and I felt ... I know it sounds stupid, but it didn't make me feel as if I was just dressing up. But as if I belonged in that dress. I'm sure you know what the dress means to Kai's family."

"I do." There was meaning in that dress. Cress could feel that she was on to something

"So that's why I asked Mrs. Hayle -that's my friend's mom -to use that dress as an inspiration for my wedding dress. See, the collar and the sleeves are the same." She pointed on the details. "You think Kai will approve?"

"He will love it," Cress said absent-mindedly. And even that was an understatement. Cress was sure Kai would instantly recognize that Cinder had based her wedding gown on the dress his mother and grandmother had worn and which his father had given to Cinder.

"I hope so." There was a pause. "It's nice to have you here, Cress. It means a lot to Kai and I'm glad too."

The words left her lips without thinking. "I have to go."

Cinder startled. "Wait, what?"

"I have to go," Cress repeated, standing up from the recliner.

Cinder was confused and Cress couldn't blame her. But now wasn't the time to explain. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No! You were great. But I need to go. And I need the photos." Cress scrambled to pick up her purse and carefully stuffed the photos into it. "And I need a car. Nevermind, I'll call a cab." Cress quickly waved at Cinder before stepping inside the house, leaving a thoroughly befuddled Cinder behind.

Cress ran through the house and quickly made her way towards one of the bigger streets she had seen upon her arrival. She could easily find a cab there.

There was something else she had to do though. Looking through her phone, Cress called her newest contact. She heard the dial tone, once, twice, before the call connected.

"Hello, Thorne."


	12. Chapter 12

"Another beer?" Thorne asked Kai, already grabbing one for himself.

"Yeah, why not?"

Thorne grabbed a second bottle before he closed the fridge and made his way over to his couch. He and Kai had decided to come to Thorne's place; it had been quite a while since the two of them had hung out without Cinder or the rest of the group. Beer, pizza, a game of football - it was a nice break from flower arrangements and butter crème flavors.

Not that angering Cinder and Cress had been the best way to get said break.

Thorne couldn't believe he had been scolded by Cress. Again! He hadn't forgotten how she had taken the news about his less idealistic view on their profession or his choice to work in it. It had been easy enough to brush off Cress's reprimands then. It was an entirely different one to actually feel conflicted about it now. Thorne couldn't say he liked feeling that way one bit.

Thorne knew himself well enough that he wasn't bothered too much by Cress's head bumping into Cinder's or for ruining the dance lesson because of a friendly competition with Kai. Cinder, Thorne was sure, would already be over it too. She got angry quickly but that wasn't unusual for Cinder ... at least, when it came to Thorne. Her annoyance never lasted long though — Thorne could always count on that. She would roll her eyes and everything would be forgotten. Cinder was simple like that.

No, Cinder wasn't the one he worried about. But Cress's disappointment with him ran a bit deeper. And, unlike Cinder, he didn't know Cress well enough to predict her reactions. And he had been totally taken aback by her speech yesterday.

It hadn't occurred to him how Cress must have felt. For him, going to Regolith Décor had been the most obvious choice. It was one of the businesses Thorne worked with on a constant basis. And presenting the designs he had picked before he even knew that he would have to work with Cress seemed logical. There was no way he would ditch a perfectly good concept.

Even waking her had made no sense to him. He had his own business to mind to. He'd had to get up early to get his Rampion towed to a mechanic before renting a new car - and he had still been on time. It was not his fault that Cress hadn't set her alarm.

He could have set the record straight then, but he had been so taken aback, he didn't have any idea how to respond. He had even lain awake, conflicted and not knowing what to do about the situation. He knew well enough that he would have to work with Cress, despite everything. And she had been right about one thing: He would need someone to take over everything while he was fulfilling his duty as the best man. The question was, did it have to be Cress?

"A penny for your thoughts?"

Thorne clucked his tongue. "You might want to raise that offer. My thoughts don't come cheap."

Kai didn't miss a beat. "Take-outs on me then. So, spill."

"There's nothing to spill."

"Uh-uh," Kai said, his tone doubtful. He had been petting Boots but retracted his hand when the kitten bit playfully into his hand. "You think Cinder and Cress are still mad at us?"

"Nah. You know Cinder as well as I do. She can't hold a grudge."

"True. But what about Cress?"

"You tell me. You're friends with her. I've only known her for three days." Boots scurried over to Thorne who deftly swooped him up and hugged the kitten to his chest, little paws playing with the strings of his hoodie.

"You've formed opinions about people faster than that," Kai reminded him. "Women, specifically."

Thorne grunted. "What is this, an interrogation? I just told Cinder that I had way more fun with this game when my ex-girlfriend—"

"Yes, yes, we know all about that." Kai took another sip of his beer, but clearly watched him from the corner of his eyes. "You don't like Cress, is that it?"

And there was the crux of the problem, wasn't it? Because after three days with Cress, it wasn't hard for Thorne to admit that he liked Cress. She might feel differently about him now (and Thorne honestly couldn't blame her) but he liked her. It was hard to pin-point exactly why. They were total opposites in so many ways. Then again, he and Cinder didn't have a lot in common and they liked each other just fine. Cress kept him on his toes, her wild accusations were amusing (just like her alcohol-induced show) and Boots liked her. A big plus in Thorne's book. But mostly, Cress was a breath of fresh air. He had never met anyone who was so honestly (and hopelessly) romantic and idealistic. It was new and fun and Thorne liked everything new and fun.

Which meant he didn't exactly wanted her to leave. It was nice to have another friend in the crew, especially now that Cinder and Kai had so little time to hang out and Wolf lived permanently on Scarlet's farm. It would also not be the worst thing to have someone help him working on Cinder and Kai's wedding, he had decided. However, he wasn't sure how he could work with her. He might like her well enough but her ideas and his ... It was one thing to like her as a friend, a totally different one to work with her professionally.

He wouldn't have minded if Cinder and Kai had picked Cress's idea (the decorations were just a minor part of the whole planning job) and they could have teamed up. But her presentation just hadn't been convincing.

Cress had told him that she usually worked differently. But most wedding planners he knew already came prepared with two different concepts to the meeting with the couple. Just to get a general direction if the couple didn't already have very specific ideas of their own. That's why he had thought out a sleek modern design and one that was more romantic (and had been surprised that this had been the one Cinder picked).

Thorne didn't get the appeal of trying to personalize a wedding the way Cress seemed to be so adamant about. Most couples just wanted to wow the guests - and sold whatever he, Thorne, came up with as their own personal aesthetic. In Thorne's opinion, Cress's approach was a waste of time and effort - and it didn't even pay off.

He didn't dare mention any of this to Kai though. He was convinced that Cress was a great wedding planner. Thorne didn't want to tell him that he thought differently.

Thorne settled for something innocuous. "Cress is fine. As far as I can tell at least. You know her better than me." He thought of a way to turn the conversation around. "How well do you know her actually?"

"What do you mean?"

Satisfied by Kai's confusion, Thorne nestled deeper into the cushions. "I just mean ... anything I should know about? I tell you, Cinder won't be happy if you invited an old flame to your wedding," he told Kai with a pointed look.

He obviously knew the answer from Cress but he liked seeing Kai squirm, irritated by Thorne's implications. "Cress and I were never romantic. Cinder knows that."

"Uh-huh. No high-school sweethearts then? I mean Cress is cute—"

"You think Cress is cute?" Now it was Kai's turn to grin. "Is that what this is all about? You like Cress?"

"What? No!" That wasn't the derailment Thorne had in mind.

"Uh-huh." Kai echoed him with a smug grin. "You just want to make sure you're not pursuing one of my exes? That's sweet, Thorne. I'm touched really. But don't worry, as I said, Cress and I were never more than friends."

"Ha-ha. Nice try. I'm not interested in Cress."

"I wasn't the one saying that Cress was 'cute' though." Kai winked at Thorne, making him want to groan.

"So you two never dated?" When Kai was silent a tad too long, Thorne gestured wildly at his friend causing Boots to cling to his sleeves trying to catch the movement. "Kai, no! You did?! Damn, Cinder won't be happy if she—"

"No, Thorne. We never dated. But in case you think it matters, I was her prom date."

Thorne whistled. "Kai, you old ladykiller. Who knew? Sure nothing happened?" He changed his tone as if lost in a memory. "The high-school band playing some romantic tune, someone spiked the punch, all those crazy teenage hormones - no one could blame you for some heated, passionate kisses with"—this time, he refrained from mentioning any descriptors that Kai could use against him and settled for—"Cress."

Kai gave him a deadpan look. "Ah yes, how could I forgot about our heated, passionate kiss. I'm sure her forehead is still tingling." At Thorne's confused look, he elaborated. "I gave her a peck on the forehead at the end of the evening. Like friends do."

Thorne raised his hands, settling Boots on his lap where the kitten started to curl into a ball and purr. "Alright, alright. So, no sweet romance between you two, got it." Thorne thought of more ways to stray the conversation from Cress's abilities as a wedding planner. "Hey, how did you get to know each other in the first place? Cress has never been to California, right? Did you grow up in Burlington? Because that would be news to me too."

He could see several emotions playing on Kai's face. Thorne was surprised; he had thought it was an easy enough question. He had no trouble recounting how he had gotten to know Wolf, Cinder, Iko, Scarlet and Kai in a few short sentences. Even Jacin and Winter, who he only met two times. He wasn't sure why Kai took his time answering.

"It's a long story—"

Thorne waved his hand at him. "Not interested then. But say, was she always so ..." he trailed off, wondering how to phrase it.

"So ...?"

"So crazy about weddings? I mean almost scarily obsessed if you ask me. Though that's part of her charm, I guess."

Kai laughed. "Oh yes. For as long as I've known her actually." Seeing the question in Thorne's eyes, he supplied, "Which is about 15 years. Which I already told you about, by the way."

He had feared as much. "So, she was one of those girls playing make-believe with her own dream wedding?"

"Definitely. She made up all these wedding scenarios for us. As kids, mind you. It was completely innocent, so don't get any ideas." Kai's fond smile turned into a laugh. "Though she ditched me quite a lot actually. Sometimes to set me up with her Skipper Barbie, Little Cress, to play the wedding planner for us, or to marry her teddy bear instead of me."

Thorne guffawed. "You were ditched for a teddy bear?"

"Yep. I was relegated to the priest, officiating many happy ceremonies between Captain Bear and Cress."

"Her bear was a hotshot captain? No wonder she ditched you," Thorne teased, clinking his bottle against Kai's when his phone rang. He checked the caller ID, startled when he saw which of his contacts was calling him.

Cress. He hadn't expected her to call and he had no idea what she could want from him.

He picked up. "Hello, Cress. We were just talking about you." Kai perked up when he heard who was calling.

"Hello, Thorne." There was a strange undertone to her voice he couldn't place. "I'm glad you picked up the phone."

"For you? Always."

"Good." There was a rustling sound. Cress talked to someone, her voice muffled, before she spoke to him again. "Sorry, just had to give directions to the cab driver."

"A cab? Aren't you with Cinder?" At Kai's questioning look, Thorne could only shrug.

"No. But that isn't the reason I'm calling." There was a slight pause. "I did realize a few things."

"Oh? Do tell."

"Sorry, no time."

When Kai leaned closer to listen in, Thorne stood up and walked over to the fridge to get another beer. He had a feeling he might need it. "No time? You know you're the one calling me right?"

"I know. I promise it will make sense soon enough."

Somehow, he doubted that but instead he said, "Then why  _are_ you calling me?"

"Um ... is Kai with you?"

Thorne took a sip of his beer, wiping the foam from his lips. "Yeah. Want to speak to him?"

"No. Just .. can you and Kai come to the address I'm going to send you? In like an hour? Or two?"

"You still haven't gotten enough of me?" he drawled and added a wink to Kai for good measure. He was starting to enjoy the barely restrained curiosity on his friend's face.

He almost missed what Cress said next. "Don't flatter yourself. Now can you come? Please?" When he didn't answer right away, she took him by surprise. "You owe me one."

He raised an eyebrow, even though she couldn't see it. "I do? That would be news to me."

"Yes." There was a new resolve in her voice. "For not giving me a fair chance. I deserve a fair chance, Thorne."

Leaning against the counter, Thorne contemplated her request. He hardly thought he owed her anything but he was curious about what she could want from him and Kai. And if Cinder was in on it, he chiefly wondered. "You sure? It's such a fine Sunday. You would have to offer me something big to get me to drive around the city without knowing what to expect," he teased her good-naturedly.

She ignored him. "Will you be there?"

He sighed but it was only show. By now he was curious "Alright. But you better make it worth my while—"

But Cress had already disconnected the call.

Thorne stared at the display for a few seconds before pocketing the phone, at loss with what had just happened.

"Everything alright between you two?" Thorne wasn't surprised by the question. Kai was bound to be curious about their call.

"Peachy," Thorne reassured Kai, his tone easy.

"Then what was that?"

For once, Thorne had no answer. He was glad when his phone alerted him to a message - as expected, from Cress. He opened the message and did a double-take at the very familiar address.

What was the girl up to? He should have been annoyed but he couldn't help but be intrigued. "Seems like we have somewhere to be."


	13. Chapter 13

Cress wrung her hands nervously, glancing over the arrangement for the last time. She allowed herself one steadying breath before turning around to face the three people waiting for her.

Kai and Cinder looked mildly curious but that was to be expected. She didn't dare meet Thorne's eyes. She could have called Kai and Cinder and met them on her own but she didn't want to go behind Thorne's back. It wouldn't have felt right.

But she couldn't help it. This what she was here to do. Her reason for being in Los Angeles, she told herself.

"Thank you for meeting me here ... again," she added, referring to Regolith Décor, the store where they had come together just yesterday. It was the only place she knew in L.A. that had any connection to her profession and that she could use for her second presentation.

"I know we already settled on a concept and it's a beautiful, wonderful concept." Thorne's idea had indeed been breath-taking. It would be the perfect arrangement for any wedding but ... this wasn't any wedding. She tried to think of ways to word it so it wouldn't come off as rude though. Thorne wasn't just a competitor, he was friends with Kai and Cinder. "I hope Thorne won't mind me saying this. It's a concept that will work for many couples and many weddings. But ... you didn't ask any old wedding planners to organize your wedding. You"—she made a point to look at Kai and Cinder—"specifically asked your friends to plan your wedding. And I think that's because even though you might not have any idea how to personalize your wedding, you hoped we could find a way."

Even if Cinder and Kai hadn't said so, the way they had both struggled to come up with any ideas of their own, Cress was sure, wasn't due to having too little time or the fact that they weren't interested enough in their own wedding. It was that they simply couldn't imagine a wedding that had only the two of them in mind.

"And I wanted to have the chance to show you a wedding concept that is inspired by you as a couple. It's still okay if you prefer Thorne's idea, "she hurried to say, "but I'd love for you to see something I imagined after getting to know Cinder today."

Cress turned to the table she had arranged. It was already late so the lighting wasn't the best but she had checked before Kai, Cinder and Thorne arrived to make sure that when she turned on the lights it would have the desired effect.

She found the light switch and turned on dozens of LED light strings, illuminating the arrangement Cress had put her heart into: Warm orange hues were set off against a rich green and vibrant teal, creating a colorful spectacle. A few round paper lanterns gave an additional warm glow, highlighting the silky table cloth, shimmering tableware and beautiful centerpiece with the various flowers repeating the color scheme.

She still had some lingering doubts about how much Kai and Cinder would like it. It still missed the sparkle Thorne had mentioned but it was much more impressive than the ideas she had presented yesterday. But she loved how it came together and knew it could be breath-taking as the final concept displayed at Artemisia Hall.

She turned back to Kai and Cinder, seeing their faces smiling at the display and took courage from that. "It's a bit unusual, but when Cinder showed me the pictures from your engagement party and of your parents and grandparents, there was a story there that no one else had and that was your mother's dress." Cress could see the moment it dawned on them where Cress was heading and she couldn't help the smile forming on her lips. "Your grandmother wore that dress to signify her becoming part of your grandfather's family, and the story repeated itself with your parents ... and now you. The colors in that dress are unique and easily recognizable and I thought they should play a pivotal part in the concept. Not only in the decorations but for the bridesmaids and groomsmen's attires too. The bridesmaids could each wear a dress in one of the colors, and their groomsmen corresponding ties."

"In orange, green and blue?" Cinder asked but Thorne huffed.

"Please, that's sunset orange, sea-foam green and teal blue. Know your colors, woman."

Cinder snorted. "How would you even know that?"

"It's my job. I know my colors - from Absolute Zero to Zomp."

"Har-di-har. As if. If you have to invent colors you might as well pick something that actually sounds like a color."

Cress knew that those were actually colors but decided it was time to intervene before they got into another round of Cinder and Thorne's friendly bickering. She continued as if nothing happened. "Sunset orange, sea-foam green and teal blue. It's a more daring color combination but Thorne was right when he said that a venue like Artemisia Hall needed something to fill the room. With the right arrangements, the colors will play off wonderfully of each other, creating a warm, welcoming atmosphere — and it will be a color scheme that I can promise you will be unique to your wedding."

"Do you think our guests will make the connection though?" Kai asked. "We know why you picked the colors but I'm not sure they will."

"They will." Cress carefully grabbed the photos she had borrowed from Cinder. "Those pictures will be part of your wedding. I'd suggest to include them in the invitations or the wedding timelines. Because right here, there is a tradition that doesn't have anything to do with culture or religion. It's a tradition that is defined by your family, Kai. A family Cinder will soon belong too." She sent Cinder a quick smile, acknowledging how much that meant to her. "And a tradition you can carry on too as you start your own family."

Kai and Cinder exchanged bashful glances which Cress thought was endearing. There wasn't time to swoon though.

"This is my idea. I know it's vastly different from what you might have planned but this is what I imagine when I think of you. Because you are my friends and I want you to have a wedding that feels like it's only yours and no one else's, but also, one that allows your guests to see who you are and what matters to you." There was so much more Cress wanted to say but suddenly, words failed her. She just wanted to make them happy in the only way she knew how — by giving them the wedding of their dreams. One perfect day to start the rest of their life together.

Now it was time for Kai and Cinder to say what they thought.

But it wasn't Kai or Cinder who spoke first and Cress was surprised as she registered Thorne's words.

"You would be fools not to pick this idea."


	14. Chapter 14

Cress put away her phone with which she had taken photos of her arrangement. She might not use all —or any— of the items she had picked from Regolith Décor but it gave her a good reference. Maybe she would send them to Kai and Cinder too so they would remember what their wedding might look like.

The couple had already left, but Cress was aware that Thorne was still lingering about as she carefully repackaged the decoration. She had been surprised that he had, as far as she could tell, without any hesitation voted for her idea. After the events of the last few days, this had been the last thing she'd suspected him to do.

Taken aback as she had been, her eyes had flown to his, thinking he might have been joking. But Thorne had looked as serious as she had ever seen him. Even Cinder and Kai had seemed surprised.

After everything that had happened since they'd met, this honest vote for her idea had amazed her the most.

Cress felt his gaze linger and it was difficult not to get flustered. She had no idea what to expect from him now that they were alone.

Thorne casually leaned against one of the shelves. "I didn't expect you to come here of all places."

"Regolith Décor?"

He nodded.

"It was the only place I knew I could use."

"Yeah, but that was a special arrangement. They don't let anyone come here using their goods for presentations, especially if there are still customers in the shop."

Cress bit her lip. She'd assumed this might come up. "I, um, might have used your name?" When he raised his eyebrow, she hurried to explain, "I said it was a follow-up with the clients of 'Thorne Event Planning.'"

Her eyes dropped to her feet. She knew that hadn't been even in the least bit an okay thing to do. Preparing another pitch was one thing, but using his name and his connections to do so? It seemed logical at first but now she wished she had done it a bit differently. She wouldn't blame him for being angry with her.

But then she heard his warm, deep laugh, loud enough that some customers turned around, startled by the noise. "Setting up secret meetings, pitching new ideas, using my name ..." Thorne looked at her, impressed. "That's gutsy. Good thing you're not my competition here in L.A." He then waggled his finger at her in mock reproach. " _You_ are a sneaky one."

Cress let out a sigh of relief. "You're not mad at me?"

"Nah." And then he stepped closer. So close she had to look up at him. Thorne lowered his head towards hers, studying her for a long time with an expression Cress couldn't identify before his lips tugged into a smile. Not the cocky smile or teasing grin she already knew from him, but something that was almost soft and thoughtful.

"I can see the appeal now."

Cress raised an eyebrow. "Of what?"

"Of you." His eyes grew almost comically before he chuckled. "I mean of you as a wedding planner."

Cress's heart thumped loudly in her chest. When she'd read about Thorne and imaged working with him, she wanted nothing more than someone who shared her passion and who understood her ideas and motivation.

Someone to connect to.

But after getting to know him, her hopes had crashed so quickly that after a few hours of knowing the "real" Thorne, they seemed far-fetched and ridiculous.

And still, he understood—and appreciated—her work. Her ideas. He'd even voted for hers over his own. She didn't know what to make of it.

Together, they put the decorations back and left the store. They stood a bit awkwardly next to each other but that could have just been on Cress's end. She had never seen Thorne being anything but confident.

Rubbing his neck, he turned to her. "Want me to give you a ride?"

"Um, sure?"

"You might want to give me directions. I have no idea where that Deshal guy lives."

They walked toward his rental car. Thorne opened the door for her.

"You've never met him?" she asked him as he sat down and started the motor.

"He was at the engagement party I think. But he's usually traveling a lot. I'm sure he'll come to the wedding though." He shrugged.

His driving hadn't improved, but the traffic jam didn't allow for any dangerous maneuvers anyway.

They sat in silence for most of the ride - a stark contrast to the way they had bantered on their drive from Inyokern to L.A. So much had happened in the meantime. Whenever she thought she had figured Thorne out, he did something unexpected and she was just as lost as before.

Except for one thing.

"I know about Kate Fallow."

If he was surprised by that, he didn't let on. "You met her? A nice girl, don't you think?"

"No. Well, she's probably nice, but you know that's not what I mean."

"It's not?" There was a tone in his voice that told her she was on the right track.

"It's been nagging at me this whole time. Things weren't adding up when I heard Kai's story about how he finally got together with Cinder. Kai couldn't even remember Kate's name when he told me about her, but she invited him to her wedding? It didn't seem like they were close enough for that. It just didn't make sense. A wedding that  _you_  organized, I might add."

Thorne's fingers went to the radio but didn't turn it on. "Your point being?"

Cress directed him to the next exit, careful not to distract him from the traffic. "And then you had to call Cinder to come by and repair the sound system. The DJ couldn't do it? None of the venue's staff members couldn't do it? No, you needed Cinder not for the repairs. That's how she and Kai finally got together in the first place. They met at one of your _fated weddings_. You told me as much." She couldn't help adding smugly, "You were match-making."

A smile tugged at his lips but he said, "Nice story. Not sure it holds up though. Unless you got proof."

"I don't need proof. The story doesn't add up. But it's not like I expected you to admit to it, in either case." She stole a glance at him, but he seemed calm and unperturbed by her revelation. "You're probably wondering why I brought this up."

"Not particularly, no."

Cress just chuckled. Only yesterday she would have bristled at his words. But she had found her optimism again: she had suggested a concept to Kai and Cinder that they'd loved and thatCress was proud of. Things were finally looking up again. She wasn't fazed by his words anymore the way she had been when they'd first met. "I underestimated how much you cared for this wedding. You might have told me that you generally don't care about weddings, but Cinder and Kai's? You were invested in their relationship before they even got together. You  _wanted_  them to be together. And you must believe in marriage enough if you support them in that too. Maybe you didn't lie about weddings in general, but you want this one to happen. And you want it to be perfect."

"It is my job, after all."

Cress shook her head. "It's more than that. You always want to make sure you do your job well, you told me as much. But this time you really want it to be perfect for Kai and Cinder. Because you care about them. That's why you agreed to let me assist you and why you were so hell-bent on winning the competition and that was also the reason for the surprise dance lessons. You care about Kai and Cinder's wedding and you care about their marriage too."

There was a long pause before Thorne spoke up. "And where does that leave us, Cress? What does that change?"

Cress shrugged. "Nothing really. Except that I figured you out," she told him with a poke into his side, the way he often did to her.

"Figured me out?" He waggled his eyebrows. "That on the inside, I'm really just a sappy, lovelorn romantic? Is that what you believe now?"

Little did he know that Cress wasn't joking.

"No."

"Good."

"Now I  _know_ it."

He poked her side. "Take that back."

"Never!"

And just like that, the tension if the last few days evaporated. The rest of the drive was spent in amiable silence, though Cress did her best trying to hide her happy smile. Thorne might not have confirmed her suspicions, but she was convinced that he cared about this wedding just as much as she did. She could work with that. He and Cinder had a strange friendship too. Cinder was more often than not annoyed but seemed to care deeply about her friend. Maybe Cress and Thorne could have something similar?

When they arrived at her temporary place, Thorne exited the car too. "Cress, wait." She turned around as he jogged around the car, smiling in his carefree way. "Sooo, after today and how everything turned out ..." He raked his fingers through his hair, as if nervous, which surprised Cress. "I mean you  _will_ stay now, right?"

"Um."

He flashed her a hopeful grin. "You said that you were thinking about going back to Burlington because there wasn't much to do for you here. But since Kai and Cinder picked your idea ... you'll stay right?"

Oh.

"Is that why you voted for my idea?"

Cress felt a pang of disappointment. She thought he'd voted for her ideas because he'd seen its potential and the connection to the couple. Not so she wouldn't leave and he'd have to explain why to Kai and Cinder.

But Thorne looked surprised, raising up his hands. "What, no? No, Cress, that wasn't why I voted for it."

"No?"

"Nope. I thought it was the idea that fit Cinder and Kai much better than mine. You must have seen their faces when you were speaking. They loved your idea and that's what counts."

Cress was relieved. "I'll stay. I mean, if you want me to?" He still could use her concept and plan the whole thing on his own after all.

"Oh no, don't you dare leaveme trying to figure out what to do with your idea on my own." He winked at her. "Because you picked way more color than I'm comfortable using. Sorry, you can't leave now. I need you." He gave her a disarming grin. "For better or for worse, you're stuck with me."

"For better or for worse?" Unable to hide her own smile, Cress stuck out her hands towards his. "Deal ... partner?"

He took her hand in his without hesitation. "Partner," he confirmed.

A huge weight lifted off Cress's shoulders. And more than that, she was elated—Thorne had agreed to work with her the way she'd imagined back home! They would be partners, figuring out how to organize the perfect wedding for their best friends together.

Cress finally felt it had been the right decision to come here.

Thorne eventually let go of her hand and they bade each other farewell until tomorrow. They would have to get to the planning soon after all. The real work started now.

Cress was about to open the door when Thorne called her name. "And Cress?"

She turned around. "Yes?"

"Since I'm the best man ... I call dibs on teal. Because sunset orange or sea-foam green?" He shuddered. "Not doing anything for my looks."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all I could transfer from FFN so far. The next chapters will be updated on both platforms. Thanks to everyone who left comments and kudos. :)


	15. Chapter 15

Only one and a half months to the wedding was cutting it short but Thorne had decided that they would start with the wedding planning easily enough. Cress had come up with a great concept but it was an aesthetic Thorne was totally unaccustomed to. He needed a bit more time to figure out how to work with Cress's ideas.

This would also help him get more of a feel how Cress worked.

Thorne had actually been impressed by her idea yesterday. It wasn't something that would fly with many of his clients but for Cinder and Kai? It was perfect. And personal. And everything that Cress claimed made her weddings stand out. For every other client it would be too time-consuming to get that kind of in-depth personal information that Cress had required for her idea to work but he could admit that he appreciated her work much more now. It was creative and out-of-the-box ... though now more than ever, he assumed she was severely underpaid for her time and effort.

They had agreed to start at a flower shop for the decoration. At Regolith Décor, they had to work with fake flowers, but there was no question that they would get real flowers for the wedding. This flower shop was a small business, a secret tip he got from Scarlet. Her friend's family owned it and though there were many event planners who conferred with high-class florists, Thorne got everything he needed from the Monfort family business. Their shop was a bit small but they could get every flower the client demanded in top-notch quality, and had an eye for amazing flower arrangements.

It also helped that their youngest daughter was a looker.

Thorne was sure that Cress would appreciate the family business. She was already waiting in front of the store when he arrived, practically beaming as she pointed to the shop.

"Thorne, this shop is wonderful! I can't believe that's where we'll pick the flowers from."

He grinned. He might not know Cress for very long but it was no surprise that she seemed to love the quaint shop with French flair. "Careful, Cress. You might come to like the way I do business."

She laughed good-heartedly. "We'll see about that." She took his offered arm as they entered the store together, ooh-ing and ahh-ing at the display and pointing to various flower pots.

It wasn't a bad way to start of this new partnership, Thorne found.

* * *

 

"... and that's what we need. The perfect flowers to shine in an arrangement that is mainly going to consist of teal, a sea-foam shade of green and sunset orange. Which is why we came to you,  _mademoiselle_ ," Thorne added with an exaggerated French accent.

"That doesn't sound like your usual aesthetic, how come? Tired of all the glitz and glamour?"

"Hardly." He pointed to Cress. "A stroke of genius from this lovely lady here."

Émilie Monfort, a gorgeous second-generation French girl with honey-blonde curls and pouty lips, smiled over at Cress as she handed both of them a glass of homemade lemonade. She certainly knew how to make a guy happy. In some regards at least, he thought as he took a sip of the refreshing beverage. In others she wasn't as accommodating, despite his heavy flirting.

"Oh, that's exciting. I heard a few things about you from Scarlet and it sounds amazing. Very fresh and exciting. No wonder you already got your own business when you're what, 24? I'm sure you would be a hit here in L.A. too," she told Cress excitedly.

Cress blushed at the compliment. "I really just went with something Cinder told me. You see, she has this beautiful dress that—"

"Wait, wait, wait." Thorne signed a time-out. "How do you know anything about Cress's business?"

Émilie gave him a look. "I listen to people when they talk. You might want to try that sometime."

"To you? Always." He winked at her. "And to think that you were so timid the first time I came here. Not speaking a word without stuttering, all blushing prettily." He gave her his best smile, as he leaned forward. "You knew how to stroke a guy's ego."

She clucked her tongue. "You were my first client. That was a big deal for me then. Don't worry you're just one of many now."

"Ouch. That hurts. And I thought we were destined to be crazy in love." He sighed dramatically. "Wouldn't we be a match made in heaven?" When she didn't answer, he shrugged. "Just business then. So, any ideas what kind of flowers we're looking for?"

Émilie thought about it. "There is a variety of flowers that come in the shades you mentioned. Orange and teal, at least. If I may, I would suggest focusing on these two colors. The green would be added via the stems and leaves anyway."

When Cress agreed, Thorne was relieved. Two bright colors he could work with, rather than three. That could look gaudy very quickly.

Scanning the room, Émilie started to think out loud. "Hydrangea is an option. Gerbera, marigold ... I know a type of coridalys which can look teal. We can always artificially color specific types of flowers too." Lost in her own world, Émilie started to name more and more flowers Thorne had never heard of. A look at Cress told him that she was lost too.

"Um, Émilie?"

She blinked. "Sorry, I got carried away. You should take a look around and see what we have in the store, but may I suggest going with more tropical flowers? It's going to be August and the colors you picked are so vibrant, I would go for tropical flowers."

"Sounds wonderful. I would like to see it." Cress was obviously delighted by the idea.

Fixing her apron, Émilie was ready for the task at hand. "Great. I have to look into the greenhouse because we don't display them in the shop. If needed, I will also get a few images of flowers we don't have here now but we can surely get in time for the wedding. Would you like me to do a quick bouquet for the bride? You can send her pics and she can come here when's got the time and discuss details."

That wasn't what he had in mind. "I don't think Cinder wants to carry a bouquet with her at all times. She would probably forget it somewhere and worry about it endlessly. The less she has to worry, the better."

"Oh, but she wants a bouquet," Cress chimed in.

Raising an eyebrow, Thorne was surprised by what Cress said. Since when were she and Cinder best buddies? This was his job. "How would you know?"

"We wrote a bit back and forth yesterday and initially, she said the same thing you did. But I told her, she could only carry the bouquet walking down the aisle and I would keep an eye on it throughout the day. But this way, she would have something to hold onto while she walked down the aisle." Cress shrugged. "It seemed a good idea because I noticed Cinder fidgets a lot. A bouquet will keep her hands occupied."

Thorne looked at Émilie, impressed. "See. Another stroke of genius. Might as well retire right now."

Émilie leaned over to Cress conspiratorially. "That must be the sweetest thing I ever heard come out of his mouth."

"Excuse me? I'm nothing but sweet words! To you especially," Thorne added with a pointed look.

Émilie looked unimpressed. "I mean sweet words with actually sweet intentions. Different thing."

"Details." He turned to Cress. "Shall we?"

Together they browsed the shop which was much bigger than one would assume by looking in from the outside. It had been an old apartment and rather than tear down the walls, the Monfort family had kept them intact. Customers could walk from room to room, each designed a bit differently. Cress was delighted when she found out about the unique layout. She went on to inspect a few flowers and looked them up on her tablet while Thorne made a few notes too.

When they were a bit out of earshot, Cress turned to him. "You know when you told me you were a ladies man, I assumed every women would fall at your feet."

"And you're impressed?" he said with a cocky grin.

"Not ... exactly." She peeked around the corner to see if anyone could hear her. "I mean Émilie didn't seem ... I don't know, but ... I know you're not  _actually_ romantic but ..." She wrung her hands as she searched for the right words before she tried again. "I thought you would at least  _appear_ to be romantic around the women you're interested in."

"Not sure what you mean. I'm very good at romance and I have great instincts when it comes to  _amore_. Or to keep it French,  _l'armour_." Remembering all the women he had successfully "romanced", he couldn't help the proud grin on his fans. "I doubt you would find anyone complaining about my sense of romance."

"I guess not." She bit her lip, deep in thought. "I just thought you would do more than deliver some smooth lines."

"That's flirting, Cress. Don't tell me no one's ever flirted with you?"

A pretty blush crept over her cheeks which pleased him immensely. "I just mean, I thought you would flirt differently. Make it about the woman and not so much about you. But it's more like you put on a show. Sure, you know how to talk with women and how to compliment them, you know the basic steps—"

He objected. "Basic? Nothing I do is basic."

She made an annoyed sound. "Fine. You're an expert flirter. Better?"

He harrumphed but was pleased. "Better."

"But you aren't feeling it. You just do it because you get something out of it but not because of some heartfelt, genuine moment of love."

 _Love_. So that was what it was about. "I'm not into love, Cress. Or a long-term relationship. And really, what difference does it make? I get what I want, just like the women I'm with. We both know what we want to get out of it and get it. If no one complains, why is that a problem?"

"I'm just wondering. Sure, the women change but not the routine you pull off. I mean, if a woman doesn't respond to your approach—"

"Which hardly ever happens."

She gave him an annoyed look.

"Sorry, but it had to be said." He  _was_ very successful with women despite what Cress might think. Even if Émilie wasn't as receptive to his advances as he hoped she would be.

"Do you actually want to hear what I have to say or just interrupt me every time?"

Thorne felt a sting at her reproach and acknowledged it with a small nod of his head. "Sorry." And this time, he meant it. "Please continue."

She considered him for a few seconds before she turned to the next aisle filled with tulips.

"I just mean, if a woman doesn't respond to your usual tactics"—Cress pointed in the general direction of where they had been standing with Émilie—"do you change your tactics, or go looking for the next one?"

"Why should I change it? It works for most women, why bother with one out of hundreds who doesn't fall for it?"

" _Fall for it_?" She gave him a knowing look. "See, that's what I mean. You do what you're comfortable with and what you practiced. You're attractive and charming and funny—

Thorne reveled in the compliments but resisted the urge to point them out, least he interrupted her again. He still made note of it. He needed every bit of ego stroking he could get.

"—and so it's easy for you. I'm sure tons of women are flattered by it. But it isn't genuine. You pull off the same routine for everyone and that makes none of the women special. And romance is about treating someone special. I don't mean grand gestures. Just a heartfelt moment where you look, really  _look_ at the person in front of you, and think about what would make a difference for them. Something that would make only _them_ happy. And then you do that, not because  _you_ get something out of it but because to make  _them_ happy." Cress looked at him with a mixture of shame and embarrassment. "I didn't mean to insult you or what you do. No offense, I just—"

He quickly waved her concerns off. "None taken. Though is there a point why you're telling me this? I mean why are you suddenly so interested in my flirting techniques?" He tapped her nose with a teasing grin. "Or are you just jealous I'm not flirting enough with you? I can change that."

Her nose crinkled adorably, though if it was because she was flattered or annoyed he couldn't tell. He went with flattered anyway. "That's not what I meant. I just noticed that you approach women in the same impersonal way you do with clients."

He raised an eyebrow. "Wow, when you insult someone you do it all around."

Cress's eyes widened almost comically as she hurried to apologize. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. I didn't mean anything by it." She made herself even smaller if that was possible and he could tell she was ashamed.

He wouldn't let her off that easily though. "Ah, but since you started it... so, basically I treat my clients like my women and vice-versa, right?" When she didn't say anything, he continued, "Believe me, as much I think I should be paid for my amorous efforts, it's not the case. I don't bed my clients either."

"You do sleep with some of the female guests though."

She had him there. "True. Though I don't pick up a girl at every wedding, I should clarify." They walked into the next room in silence where Cress picked a few orange flowers. He only recognized an orange gerbera. "So, I'm not paying close enough attention to the person I'm flirting  _or_ working with?"

"I ... yes. Wedding planning is so personal and with Cinder especially, I saw how much you care. You know her so well and it showed in the dancing lessons, for example. I'm sure you could do the same for other clients too."

"I would have to befriend them first. After all, I know Cinder for years now." He shook his head. "No, Cress, your way is too time-consuming for me. I would have to raise my salary to make it worth it. I doubt I can add 200 dollars just to guess the right flower."

By now, Cress carried a whole array of orange flowers in her hand, though he had the feeling she had only picked them up to keep her hands occupied. Her fidgeting confirmed that Cinder would definitely need a bouquet. "It's not that hard though," she told him quietly.

"Oh? Then why don't you pick a flower for me then? After four days, you should know what suits me, right?"

"A flower for your wedding?"

Thorne couldn't help but grimace at the thought. "Rather a fancy garden party."

Not perturbed in the least, a dreamy smile was playing on Cress's lips. "I already know which flower I would pick for you." She led the way through the room closest to the entrance. When Thorne peeked around the corner, there was still no sight of Émilie, but her younger brother scrolled through his phone, obviously bored as he had to keep watch of the store.

As he turned to Cress, she already carried a pot with a tall arrow-shaped plant from which many dark blue blossoms sprouted all over the stem. When he tried to touch one of the blossoms, Cress quickly held the pot out of reach. "Careful, they're toxic."

He scoffed at her comment. "Gee, thanks, Cress. I wonder why you picked it." Thorne had actually been impressed since the plant looked great, and the blue color complemented his eyes perfectly. He was hoping that was why she had picked it. He didn't like that it was apparently toxic though.

Her eyes shone happily as she considered the flower. "No, Thorne, that's not why I picked it. This isa delphinium. I don’t remember every flower's meaning but a delphinium is a very happy flower. It stands for joy and the love of life. It's all about fun and big-heartedness and lightness. I feel it suits your character. And also, it's so striking that makes it hard to overlook. A delphinium is easily the center of attention because of its shape and color."

Thorne's eyes met hers, honestly a bit touched by her explanation. He had been expecting something different ... and not as flattering. "That's how you see me?"

Her small nod told him that she genuinely saw all those amazing things about him. "I know I just said a few things that might sounded harsh. But I also know that you're a great friend. You're a fun person to be around and it's clear that you're enjoying life. I'm sure that's what your friends appreciate about you. So, that's why I picked the delphinium for you."

It's not as if she hadn't flattered him by pointing out his good looks and charming attitude but that she appreciated all those other things ...

Thorne scratched his chin, unable to come up with one of his usual smarmy lines. "So, that's how it works then?"

Cress seemed a bit taken aback. "I guess."

"Okay, good. Interesting. So, you spend time with someone, do your soul-searchy thing and poof, you come up with a flower that perfectly fits your client."

"Well, it's not an exact science. It mostly comes naturally if you start to get to know someone."

"It can't be that hard." He had an idea. "Let me look at you."

"What?"

"You told me I'm not looking at people enough." He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her a bit closer. "Yes, let me do some soul-searching and pick the right flower for you."

"Um, I'm not sure that this is how it works. And I didn't mean looking so literally either."

"Shh, just let me try."

"O-okay."

Thorne leaned down and took a good look at Cress as she squirmed a bit under his scrutiny.

He thought about everything he knew about her, listing everything in his mind. Where she came from, her age, her being friends with Kai, being obsessed with weddings and everything romantic. He had noticed the way she had laughed and danced and sung when drunk, but also how she crinkled her nose when she was angry with him. Nothing helped him figure out the right flower for her. Or any flower really.

Taking in her blonde hair (maybe a sunflower? Or a yellow tea rose or was that too easy?) and a most charming placement of freckles on the bridge of her nose, his glance caught at her big blue eyes and lingered there. Her long hair and bangs often obscured parts of her face, so he hadn't looked too closely, aside from his scrutiny at the airport when he had picked her up, all sleepy and disheveled. But now he had time to take her in, her eyes were as blue as the sky and deeper than he thought he ever noticed about anyone else. It gave her face something more beautiful than he had granted her before. His own eyes dropped to her lips and, surprised by the sudden hitch in his throat, he coughed a bit uncomfortably.

"Everything alright?"

"Yeah."

Thorne hadn't expected the brief reaction but ascribed it to the close proximity and long, fierce eye-contact. He knew first-hand that eye-contact was the first, and most important step to flirting. People were attracted to each other in a split second, even if that realization came later. Pick-up lines and small touches came much later and could only work if the eye-contact had established a connection.

A bit too much eye-contact. That was all there was to it.

Being interested in her was out of the question but suddenly, he had the right idea for her flowers. Letting go of her, he browsed the store and quickly found the flowers he was looking for. He made a simple make-shift bouquet, knowing she would love them.

He jogged back, presenting his choice with a dramatic bow. "For you, my lady."

With a raise of an eyebrow he couldn't quite read, she took the flowers. It was an array of small, pink roses with baby's breath wounded half-hazardly around it. It was a popular choice for clients that were as romantic as Cress were. The combination was simple and elegant but also sweet. Thorne was pretty proud of his choice as he explained it to her.

But something like disappointment played over Cress's features before she smiled up at him. "Thank you, Thorne. They're wonderful." She took the flowers without a second look before pointing to the counter where Émilie was waiting for them. "We should go and see what Émilie has come up with. I'm sure she will have something amazing for us," she said and led the way.

He followed her but despite her nice words, Thorne instantly regretted his flower arrangement without quite knowing why.

 


	16. Chapter 16

Thorne thanked the vendor as he balanced the hot dogs, fries and drinks to the table where Cress was already sitting, writing something vigorously on her tablet. Thorne knew how much she loved her job, but even he was surprised by how she seriously took it. Whereas Thorne had been fine with taking a relatively slow start to their partnership, Cress had thrown herself into the work, calling printing shops, the venue and a few of Thorne's connections to discuss Kai and Cinder's wedding. She seemed, though she was polite and patient during her calls, almost obsessed. Granted, Thorne admired her work ethic and enjoyed that he could lay back a little since Cress seemed capable of handling quite a bit on her own (though Thorne's suggestions secured them more than one sweet discount from the official price). Still, Cress seemed almost on edge the whole time despite their quick progress.

But enough was enough, Thorne decided. They already managed more than he had expected for the day so it was time for a well-deserved break. "Here, the best hot dogs you'll find in L.A." He handed Cress her avocado-topped hot dog (a combination that he was sure would give him nightmares), fries and soft drinks for both of them before he took a seat across from her. "I know it doesn't look like much"—he pointed to the shabby exterior and the furniture which had definitely seen better days— "but trust me, Kufra's Korner is a secret tip."

To her credit, Cress didn't seem displeased about the place itself. "And the view is amazing, too." She pointed to the ocean.

Kufra's Korner was indeed close to the beach, but then again that wasn't anything special for a city that was located at the coast. But Thorne probably took it for granted, unlike Cress who lived in Burlington. "That too, of course," he conceded amiably before he took a bite of his chili cheese dog. He realized how hungry he had been, having had nothing more than a coffee and toast for breakfast, and it had been several hours since then. By the way Cress gobbled down her own hot dog, he figured she didn't have much more than that either.

"How did you find this place?" Cress asked, licking some spilled over sauce from her fingers. He enjoyed that she didn't seem too particular about manners.

"I went on a few dates with a food blogger. One time, we ended up here on her suggestion."

"Ah." She cocked her head to the side. "Did you meet her at one of the weddings you organized?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I'll let you know that I don't meet women exclusively at weddings, nor do I plan it every time I happen to work at one." Otherwise it would seem like he was too lazy to actually go out and meet someone which was an image that didn't sit well with Thorne. He knew how to have a good time wherever he went, but he was also good at seizing opportunities if they presented themselves. And his weddings were full of such opportunities.

"Okay. But in this case?"

"In this case, Miss Aren't-We-Nosy, yes, we met at one of my weddings. Easily the one with the best food for obvious reasons."

"Why didn't it work out?" Cress asked between bites.

He shrugged. "I don't remember. Probably wanted different things." Which was the most convenient explanation to end relationships, Thorne found. They wanted commitment, he didn't, so they both wanted different things. End of story. "But I found this place at least, so there's that." He focused on finishing his hot dog, not interested in the conversation at hand. Cress seemed to get the hint -- at least, she didn't ask any further.

They wrapped up their meal in silence but stayed seated. Thorne was happy to put off the wedding stuff for a bit longer. Cress too looked longingly at the beach, for the first time not engrossed in anything wedding-related.

"You know, it's not as if you have to spend every moment of your time planning Cinder and Kai's wedding, Cress." When Cress blinked at him, he elaborated. "We made great progress today. You might as well enjoy some free time while you're in L.A. And I'm pretty sure we'll have everything ready on the big day," he said with a wink.

He had to admit that organizing the wedding with over three-hundred guests in less than two months seemed cutting it short before. He now felt having Cress at his side was actually a relief. Cress was competent and eager and while he had previously shaken his head at the way she gave her job her all, he now knew he could count on her. He was sure she would do just fine and take over the wedding while he was Kai's best man. That would give him some time to focus on some other events and weddings in the meantime. For Cress, splitting their work would give her some free time too.

But Cress shook her head. "No thank you. I want to make sure that everything is perfect. There's still a lot to do. We have to pick a menu and invitations, order the linens and tableware, discuss the lightning with the venue, order the flowers Émilie suggested, as well as finalize—"

"Woah, slow down, darling. " Thorne quickly stopped her rambling as she ticked off one task after the other. "Don't worry, I know the plan and promise we'll  do just fine .... even if you take a few breaks now and then to hit the ocean or flirt with some bartenders over a mojito," he said jokingly before wagging his finger at her. "Don't overdo it though or you'll end up doing another round of singing and dancing like before."

Cress cringed. "I didn't come here to relax. And I need to have something to do." There was a long silence, only interrupted by Cress's fingers drumming nervously on the table. "And I can't swim."

She couldn't swim? "Aren't there any lakes or pools in Vermont?"

Squirming in her seat, Cress answered, "I guess. But I never learned as a kid, so it's a bit embarrassing to take classes as an adult."

"Huh." Always having lived by the beach, Thorne doubted he ever met a person who couldn't swim.

"I just didn't have any opportunity as a kid," Cress hurried to explain.

Thorne leaned forward, making sure to give her his full attention. "Why not?"

She stared at the ocean again, her face almost hidden by her long hair. Thorne never liked when he couldn't read someone else's expression. "I stayed in hospitals during most of my childhood. Not many opportunities for any outdoor activities," she explained with a shrug.

Now it was Thorne's turn to squirm. He had never been good with anything serious. He rather enjoyed breezing through life without ever getting too concerned about anything, happy in his world without responsibilities and attachments. Heavy feelings never factored into that, a reason why he and Ze'ev had a fallout a few years prior after the death of Ze'ev's father. And while they made up since, Thorne doubted he got one bit better at approaching serious subjects.

But it's not like he could just leave it be and be done with it, he knew. He felt the silence become overbearing as he tried to think of things to say without seeming like he meant to pry. "How come?" he asked lamely.

"I had a specific type of cancer that affected the kidneys. Or one kidney at first. It's rare in adults but not unusual in children. About five hundred children are diagnosed in the US every year. I was one of them." She shrugged. "It took a while for my parents to get me to the doctor. My mom thought I was just being fussy and thought getting me to the doctor would be giving into my antics. It wasn't until there was blood in my urine that my dad got alarmed and—" Cress stopped, probably noticing the way he grimaced at the mention of blood. "Sorry, that was probably too graphic."

While Thorne, if he was honest with himself, was in fact very squeamish, he couldn't let Cress—or anyone—know that. "No, just ... wow, your mom sounds terrible." He quickly caught himself. "I mean, in this situation at least."

"No, I think 'terrible' is probably right. She thought for the longest time that I was faking my pain, that I was trying to make things hard on her. She had high expectations of me following in her footsteps. She's a renowned scientist in bioengineering. Both my parents are," Cress elaborated. "She thought I tried to get out of my studies."

"Wait, how old were you then?" He had thought Cress had been a small child, but if her mother had been set upon her studies, she must have been older.

"Four."

Thorne guffawed. "Four? In which universe does a kid of four have to learn about bioengineering?"

Cress chuckled and he was relieved when he didn't detect anything forced about it. "Well, that wasn't what my studies were about. But she was really strict about me being able to read, write and calculate early on and had all those learning programs for gifted preschoolers. She knew I could do them but thought I was just too lazy so I invented some random symptoms to have an excuse."

"Were you? Gifted, I mean." Thorne remembered from his school how many parents thoughts their kids were gifted, sometimes to excuse their lazy attitude in school, sometimes to put them under extra stress to learn.

"Yeah, I guess. I can't say I knew it then, but since I couldn't do much in hospital but read, I noticed that I had little trouble with books and work sheets that the other kids my age struggled with. I even got really good with programming early on. But then it was something to spend my time with, and I had fun designing websites for all sorts of things. Saved me quite a bit of money when I designed my own website for 'Crescent Moon Weddings'."

"Wait, you designed your own website?" Thorne remembered being impressed by the professional-looking site. He whistled. "Remind me to hire you next time around."

She smiled, showing off the dimples in her cheeks. "Noted. But maybe my price is too high for you?"

"Maybe. But I'm pretty sure you'll give me a friend's discount." He gave her his best smile in return.

"Hmm," Cress considered, tapping a finger playfully on her chin. "If I remember correctly you called me a 'friend of my friends' at Regolith Décor."

Thorne waved at her. "That was days ago. Now we're best buddies who give each other gracious discounts." He was pleased when she laughed and agreed, much more comfortable with a few friendly quips.

It was certainly easier than following Cress's tale about running from doctor to doctor, a long list of medications and, when nothing worked, a year-long stay at the hospital that included all sorts of cancer treatment, chemo, radiation and finally, the removal of her cancerous kidneys when her father turned out to be a match that could donate his own kidney.

There was a silence, but for once Thorne didn't need feel the need to fill it with some incessant chatting. It was hard to imagine everything Cress had gone through at such a young age. If he was honest with himself, he rather didn't imagine.

He still had a question though. "And are you ... you know, okay now?"

Her hands flew to her long hair, her fingers brushing through the strands. "Yes, thank goodness. I mean there is always a chance that something else comes up ... but no, I'm okay now." She smiled gently, her fingers still grasping at her hair.

It was an odd gesture which prompted Thorne's next question. "Did you lose your hair? That's what happens during chemo, right?"

More twirling of her blonde strands. "Yeah. It was horrible. Not the first time around, strangely enough. Just when it had grown back just a little bit and they had to do a second round, I lost it all over again." As if suddenly aware of her fidgeting. "I know. It's a bad habit. Especially since my hair is so long now."

"You never cut it?"

"Not since the last chemo, no." Cress smiled at him, not sad but in a way that made her look both young and old at the same time. Something at the sight made his insides twist uncomfortably. "I know it's silly, but it makes me feel ... healthy. It's like a proof that everything is in the past, and I can look forward now."

"That's a good mindset," he agreed. "But do you need your hair to feel that way?"

"You think I should cut it?"

He quickly waved his hands. "Not if you don't want to. I just wonder ... I mean, it's good if it reminds you to look forward. But maybe you don't need it." He shrugged. "But really, that's none of my business."

Cress considered. "I thought about it. A few times, to be honest."

"Then why don't you? It's just hair. It grows back."

"I don't know if I have the face for it."

Thorne guffawed until he realized she was serious. "Wait, what? Why would you think that?"

The faintest trace of a blush. "I was told a few times that I should be glad my hair grew back because that was at least pretty. And guys like girls with long hair," she added so quickly he almost didn't catch it.

Ah. "Well, those guys shouldn't factor into anything if you ask me. You’re pretty either way." He leaned back in his chair. "Show me."

"What?"

"Show me. Like pull up your hair. I saw you with a bun the last few days but pull up those bangs too."

There was an uncomfortable silence for a few seconds during which Thorne thought Cress would argue or just downright refuse it. But then, she slowly raised up one hand to gather her hair in it. With the other one, she hesitated before slowly brushing her bangs away from her forehead.

Thorne hadn't seen that much of Cress's face so far. Yes, he had scrutinized her at the airport and just today when he had tried to figure out the right flower for her. But with all her hair away from her face for the first time, he was ...

... captivated.

If anyone were to ask him at that moment why exactly, he wouldn't be able to tell. But there was something about Cress letting him see her without her hair distracting him. The big blue eyes he had noticed earlier were now a wonderful focus for her face, drawing his gaze in. The fine eyebrows, always hidden by her bangs were expressive and with her sweet mouth and dimples, the freckles and heart-shaped face ...

"As I said," Thorne said, "you’re pretty either way."

Cress let her hair drop down her shoulders again, but a happy smile grazed her lips. "You always know what to say around women, don't you?"

"Always, yes," Thorne agreed with a wink. He took a glance at his watch. "I have to meet with clients tonight and still need to prepare. You think we can call it a day?"

"Sure. But tonight?"

"Yeah. Special arrangement for a special couple," Thorne said with an annoyed huff. "So not looking forward to it." Sybil Mira, the bride-to-be, would be one of Thorne's particularly difficult clients, he was sure. She was business-like which he appreciated, but in a very clipped and almost rude manner that had made him almost decline the job. But if he could land the Mira-Park wedding, then it would be in his top five of his most lucrative weddings to date. It wasn't an opportunity he could miss.

"Oh, could I join you and help?" Cress surprised him by asking.

"What?"

"I mean we're such a good team now. I can help you with phone calls and everything when we're not working on Kai and Cinder's wedding."

He felt his jaw slack in disbelief before he caught himself. "You're kidding."

"Why would I?" Pulling up her tablet, Cress looked way too excited about the prospect for Thorne's taste. "As you said, I have free time when I'm not planning our friends' wedding."

"Yes. Free time. For fun stuff that isn't job-related." He stood up and nudged her good-naturedly. "Believe me, you need that break. Relax a little—it's good for the soul."

Cress seemed very unhappy but didn't argue.

By now, Thorne would be an idiot if he didn't understand that Cress lived for her job and loved it more than anything. But the way she focused everything on Cinder and Kai's wedding and even tried to spend her free time to help him with his new one just now, he wondered if there wasn't more to it. No one could love their job that much.

Unless you were a spaceship captain, probably.

 


	17. Chapter 17

The next few days flew by with Thorne working not only on one, but two time-consuming weddings. Not for the first time, Thorne thought he was immensely grateful for Cress being by his side. If not for her, he would have had to decline to arrange the _very_ expensive wedding of Sybil Mira and Aimery Park. A wedding that was so expensive not least because it was last minute. He hadn't dared ask why, but Sybil Mira (or Ms. Mira as she insisted on being called—a first in a job where he was always on first-name basis with the clients from the get-go) had given him a deadline of two weeks.

Two weeks.

And not for a simple country wedding on some remote vineyard, oh no. High-class, urban chic in the best location that L.A. had to offer were her wishes. Or rather, demands.

If not for a stroke of luck Thorne prided himself in, there was no way he or any other wedding planner would have been able to arrange it. But one of Thorne's acquaintances, for whom he had planned several events, had just opened a new stylish nightclub downtown, and while he was only opening booking events two months from now, he made an exception for Thorne.

It also helped that money didn't seem an issue for the couple from hell, Aimery Park and Sybil Mira.

Still, the ridiculously short time made the job as difficult as it could be while making sure to meet Cinder, Kai and Cress, too. If not for Cress, he would have had a break-down by now, he was sure. But she was handling Kai and Cinder's wedding mostly on her own, only getting back to him if he could negotiate a better deal. She had even come by his apartment to discuss whatever they needed so he wouldn't waste time driving through town, sometimes bringing coffee, sometimes takeout. And she let him complain. Not that he complained a lot, thank you very much. But Cress was an immense help in all of this, Thorne found.

Right now, Thorne was more relaxed than he had been in days. It helped that he had turned off his phone (though he knew that Ms. Mira would berate him endlessly about him later) and enjoyed his time with his friends while they figured out the menu for the guests.

"Cress, you must try this." He offered Cress his fork with an agnolotti with sweet corn, mascarpone and summer truffles.

Cress ate the offered pasta with delight. "Mhmm. This is sooo good. Wait, try mine." She a pierced a piece of her own food and offered it to him over the table, cupping the fork underneath so nothing would spill. "So delicious."

Thorne chewed on the bit of chicken, bursting with flavor. His eyes closed and he hummed appreciatively. "That seals it, Cress. We should retire and become professional food critics."

Cress laughed. "Or open our own restaurant. Then we could eat there all the time."

"Nah, too much work."

She thought about it. "What about hiring our own personal chef? Oh!" She snapped her fingers. "We should make that a clause in our contracts. The couples should provide a personal chef for us for the duration of the contract. Only well-fed wedding planners can do their jobs to their clients' full satisfaction, after all."

"Cress," he said," I like the way you think."

They chuckled together. When Thorne turned his head though, he saw Cinder and Kai looking at the both of them in bewilderment. "What?"

Kai caught himself first. "Well, you seem to be very cozy with each other all of a sudden."

"All of a sudden?" Thorne mock gasped. "My dear Kai, whatever do you mean? Cress and I were nothing if not cozy. Wouldn't you agree, Cress?"

"Certainly, Thorne." She grinned at him playfully before turning to the couple. "Like two peas in a pod."

"Never been closer."

"Always amiable."

"Delightful, really."

They broke out in laughter. The stress of the last few days felt like a distant memory at that moment. It was time to get back to business though. "So, how are your main courses," he asked Cinder and Kai.

"I like it ... though probably not as much as you two," Cinder said, still a bit taken aback. She quickly focused on her food again. "What was that fish again?"

Cress looked up the menu. "Black cod. Mizo-glazed black cod." She was all business now too. "We asked the chefs to give you several options, with one menu favoring flavors from East Asian cuisine, the other being more traditional American. We made sure that both would appeal to your guests from here and overseas."

"And more importantly, your unbeatable wedding planner duo," Thorne chimed in, rubbing his belly.

He could see the corners of Cress's mouth twitch as she tried not to laugh. "So, we had the American starters consisting of sweet Maryland crab cakes with herb remoulade and a spring pea soup with garlic flowers, and we had cucumber honeydew gazpacho and snapper ceviche shooters. What did you think about it? You liked the selection? Which three would you pick?"

"It was very good," both agreed, but it was Kai who elaborated. "I like that it was very light and fresh and had variety. I'm personally not someone who particularly enjoys herb remoulade but that one was quite good." There was a bit of silence at the table before Cress and Thorne grabbed a pen to cross out the crab cakes with the herb remoulade. Cinder laughed while Kai looked perplexed. "What? I just said I liked the remoulade."

Cinder reached over to take Kai's hand in hers. "Kai, everyone at this table knows you. You might be very diplomatic about it but you didn't like the remoulade."

Kai looked around to see if anyone from the staff had overheard them but they were all busy preparing the next course. He relaxed a little. "I still thought it was one of the better ones."

"Sure you did," Cinder agreed amiably before turning to Cress and Thorne. "I liked it too. As Kai said, it was fresh. I did like the Asian appetizers more though, to be honest."

"Ah yes." Cress read through her menu again. "Chinese chicken salad in miniature tortilla cups, Asian shrimp and cucumber appetizer, pork belly and Peking duck-stuffed buns and Asian meatballs with a pineapple slaw ..."—Cress took a curious glance at Cinder's plate—"which you haven't touched."

Cinder gave an apologetic shrug with her shoulder. "I'm allergic to pineapple."

"Oh." Nervously, Cress checked some list on her tablet again, her forehead crinkled. "You haven't mentioned that you're allergic to pineapples. You left that field blank."

"Which field?"

"In the questionnaire I sent you. Where you answered about your favorite food, things you don't eat and allergies."

Thorne had to give it to Cress – she was thorough. Cinder on the other hand looked a bit abashed.

"I apparently haven't read it as thoroughly as I should. I thought I wasn't a fussy eater, so I checked almost everything. Sorry, Cress."

"No worries." Cress typed something on her tablet. "Any other allergies?"

"No. But the other three appetizers I really liked a lot," Cinder hurried to say.

"Noted. Which one did you prefer, Kai?" Before Kai could respond, Cress added, "In short. No need to be diplomatic about it."

Kai gave her a pointed look. "And here I thought diplomacy was in your job description too?"

Snapping his fingers, Thorne drew Kai's attention to him. "Wrong. It's quick decision-making. So, pick an appetizer course _now_." He huffed with a glance at Cress. "Politicians."

"I doubt that's the way you should treat your clients," Kai argued.

"Oh, I should. Time is money, after all. Now, come on."

Kai shrugged. "I preferred the second round of appetizers too."

Thorne nodded. "Then we should settle on the Asian main courses too, don't you think, Cress?"

"Yes. So, the guests can pick between grilled rack of lamb with stir fried vegetables, wasabi potato puree and cilantro mint vinaigrette as one option, miso-glazed black cod with sautéed Asian vegetables as another, and then the deep fried-chicken mince, taro with bean curd sheets served with spring onion ginger soy glaze. The chefs will also prepare a vegetarian option off the card. But did you like the main courses you tried?"

"Yes. Again, the other one with the agno..."

"Agnolotti?" Cress supplied.

Cinder nodded. "Yes, that one. They were really delicious and everything, but I thought the Asian options were more interesting. I never had anything like it. I would probably pick the lamb with the wasabi potato puree."

Thorne was very satisfied with Cinder's response. He had picked the chefs and gave them pointers as to what he wanted, and it felt like the food was already going to be a highlight. He called for one of the waiters. "We're ready for dessert then. Option two, please." To Cinder and Kai he said, "With the starters, we planned to arrange them in threes, so the desserts will mirror that. People have fun trying out several small things rather than just one piece of cake or one bowl of icecream."

"I can't believe how many details you have to think about. I mean, don't get me wrong, I know the job isn't easy but I can hardly wrap my head around how much really goes into this whole wedding planning business," Kai said to Cress and Thorne with an earnest smile. "Thank you for putting so much effort into our wedding."

"Aww, you sap." He gave Kai a playful punch to the shoulder. Thorne had already seen the touched expression on Cress's face and preferred the mood not to become too mushy which he was never good at handling. Nope, he rather made a joke and was even more grateful when the waiter came and placed the desserts in front of everyone.

When he looked across the table to Cress, he was surprised to find she hadn't picked up her tablet but looked in adoration at the three little desserts as if she couldn't wait to try them. With a chuckle, Thorne picked up his own notes. "Here we have the dessert: Yuzu lemon-lime meringue tart, saffron rice pudding with whipped cream tipped with edible gold leaves—which apparently is a thing every fancy dessert needs—and, last but not least, a coconut pandan cupcake. As you can see, deviating from the usual American desserts gives us some room for new things. No chocolate, no vanilla, no local fruit or anything else you would usually expect. Instead, these desserts are new, exciting and fresh, perfect for a summer wedding. And before Cress kills me with her eyes, I insist that you try them as quickly as possible."

Cress squealed in delight, an adorable sound he hadn't expected from her. He shook his head as he gave the tart a try. It was sweet and sour as was expected from the citrus fruits in it but the yuzu gave it a more interesting, bitter flavor. Moving the gold leaves to the side, he found the rice pudding with the spice just as good. His favorite, he decided, was the cupcake.

Kai and Cinder fed each other with the tart, seemingly in their own world. It looked very intimate and romantic and Thorne realized with a start that just minutes before, he and Cress had fed each other too. It certainly couldn't have looked the same way? No, they had just been fooling around like friends did.

He glanced at Cress who had closed her eyes in contentment, wiggling happily on her chair and sporting a little speck of coconut frosting on her upper lip. "Cress, you got something on your lip."

She opened her eyes, a hand flying to her mouth, wiping at it but missing the spot. "Gone?"

"No."

"Urgh, I'm such a pig."

"You're not." He reached across the table, wanting to use her napkin to wipe the spot for her, but fearing another moment that would look too couple-y for his taste, he just pointed at the approximate place where the speck was. "There, just at the right corner."

This time, she got it. "Thanks." She finished her last bit of the tart, sighing in contentment. She allowed herself a few seconds before picking up her tablet again. "So, what's your opinion on the dessert?"

"If you're only half as happy as Cress is, I think we're set," Thorne said jokingly.

They discussed the dessert, which got a round of praise by everyone, and the main menu was settled. The chefs would work on some additional finger food for the reception that fit the theme, but Kai and Cinder expressed their full trust that they would be just as amazing without even trying them.

Which left only one more point to discuss.

"So, since we finished Cress's favorite part—dessert, and don't even try to argue, darling—we now come to my favorite part ... drinks!" Cinder groaned but Thorne wouldn't have any of it. "Don't pretend you're not into cocktails. I think I distinctly remember your last night out with Iko included tons of them. And I also remember your _Terminator_ impression that followed." Ignoring Cinder's glare, he continued. "Anyway, you could have just another boring champagne reception"—he pretended to yawn—" _or_ you could have signature drink that fits with the menu."

Cress nodded enthusiastically. "Believe me, it's a great idea. We're going to offer the usual beverages, and I also thought lemonades, iced teas and flavored iced water made with exotic fruit would be very refreshing drinks for all of your guests. But a signature drink is something that's just a nice addition."

"Thank you, Cress." He called for the guy who would be mixing the drinks. "So, once again, prepare yourselves to be wowed."

They tasted their way through several drinks. Going with the Asian-inspired flavors definitely paid off with the drinks too. The fruit and mixers were bound to be another highlight. With Cress's help, Thorne knew that this wedding would be his personal favorite. Maybe because it was for their friends and they tried to make it personal and everything came together much better than they could have hoped for. Most importantly, it was a new direction Thorne hadn't tried yet. His usual weddings were elegant and had lots of details too, but the vibrant colors and the exotic dishes they had picked for Cinder and Kai's wedding were exciting.

Keeping an eye on Cress and her alcohol intake, he explained the different drinks and their ingredients with the help of the bartender. The main ingredients were (aside from various alcoholic bases) lychee syrup and ginger, juices from agave, dragon fruit, lime and mango, as well as green tea and lemon grass.

"Oh, this one is nice too," Cress exclaimed with a hiccup. "It has bubblies. Bubbles, I mean."

Her blunder was met with laughter. "Easy there, Cress. Not that I won't mind you starting to sing again, but let's pick a drink first, right?"

"Singing?" Kai said, his cheeks slightly red. "When did you hear her sing?"

It was Cress who answered. "I got biiiit drunk when Thorne and I drove to L.A. But just a little. Like this." She held up a hand holding the thumb and index finger slightly apart to indicate it, her face scrunched up in concentration. "And there was good music."

From Cress's account it sounded like they had lots of fun clubbing, not being stuck in a dingy motel while their car was being repaired, but Kai didn't need to know that. "Good music courtesy of this lady here. Did you know she can sing like that, Kai?"

"Yeah." Looking a bit more sober, Kai eyed Cress as she wiggled on her chair, matching the rhythm of an also slightly tipsy Cinder who hummed the _Terminator_ theme. "I'm surprised you do."

Thorne didn't know what he meant, but already there was another drink to taste. Before he could say anything though, Cress exclaimed, "That's it. I know this is the perfect drink for your wedding."

Everyone looked at her. "How would you know?"

A shrug. "Gut feeling."

"Hey, guys. Guys, listen." Cinder tugged Cress by the shoulder, pulling her closer. They were both more than just tipsy by now, their movements clumsy but Thorne was surprised by Cinder's gesture since she usually wasn't so touchy-feely. Well, not with him at least. Oh, the wonders of alcohol. "If Cress says that's going to be our drink then that's going to be our drink. She knows ... _everything_!" she added with a hushed voice before grabbing her drink. "Hasta la vista, baby." And with that she downed the contents.

Thorne took a sip. The sour taste of citrus and the slightly bitter tang were followed by a sharp sting, making his mouth tingle pleasantly. It was different than the other drinks, but the flavors matched in interesting and tasty ways. "Not bad."

"Not bad? It's perfect! Right, Kai?"

Kai's cheeks were still flushed as he looked adoringly at Cinder. "Yes. Perfect." He probably would have agreed to anything at this point.

Thorne leaned over to Cress. "Why that drink specifically?"

"It's not too sweet. They're not for a sweet drink. It has to be"—she hiccupped—"not sweet."

He bit his lips so he wouldn't laugh. "A very sharp observation." To Cinder and Kai he said, "See, that's your drink according to Cress. Bitter."

"With a shot of sass and a hint of snark," Cress chimed in happily, probably only half-aware what she was saying. It still made Thorne snicker.

"True. So, the verdict? Is this your drink?"

"Definitely. It's ... I don't even know but its good, Thorne. There's ginger in it which is ... I like ginger, you know?"

Okay, if even Kai had trouble forming words it was time to call it a day. "Okay, good that settles it. We got the drink," he said to the bartender who had watched the group slowly getting intoxicated with amusement. "I thought we could think about a name for it so your guests can order it but I feel the three of you are too wasted to—"

"The Kaider."

"Pardon?"

Cress peered into her glass, looking for a remaining sip, disappointed when she didn't find any. It took her a few seconds before his words registered. "The Kaider. The drink. We should call the drink Kaider. Kai and Cinder. Oh!" She turned to Cinder. "Except if you want your name first. Cinto. Oh, that sounds good too." Cress tried both versions, nibbling on her straw but Cinder shook her head.

"I like Kaider. People should order it all the time. Someone should travel in time and bring it with them so it's going to be mankind's favorite drink."

"Great ideas all around." Thorne stood up, pulling Kai with him. "But I think we should get all of you home."

The group left in a merry mood with Thorne realizing that aside from him, no one seemed to be used to drinking a lot. Kai held himself up pretty well, but Cinder and Cress were drunk. It was definitely safer to order cabs for all of them.

Kai appeared next to him after he finished his call (and did his best to ignore the nineteen missed calls and seventy-six messages from Sybil Mira). "Thorne ... you weren't joking about the _Terminator_ stuff, weren't you?"

Thorne looked over where Cinder was walking in a strangely robotic fashion, quoting random lines from the movie from time to time. "Nope."

"That is ...," but whatever Kai had been about to say was lost when he looked at Cress who was now happily humming to herself. His gaze cleared up a little. "Say, Thorne ... you and Cress, you spent a lot of time together, right?"

Thorne eyed Kai suspiciously. "Yeah, we're working together, remember? Just like you wanted us to."

"Right." Kai nodded, thoughtful. "But you're drinking and dancing together"—none of that was remotely true, but Kai continued before Thorne could correct him—"and she sang for you. She never liked singing in front of people."

Raising an eyebrow in disbelief, Thorne glanced down the parking lot where Cress was now singing songs from _Dirty Dancing_. "You sure about that?"

"Yeah." Kai didn't pay attention to Cress though. Instead there was an uncertain expression of his face. "So, you two seem pretty close."

Thorne held up his hands. "Not sure what you're getting at, Kai. Cress and I are really just working together." He shook his head. "Okay, we're friends now too I guess. But that's it."

"That's good." There was a long pause where he just watched Cinder and Cress who seemed to have found common ground by recreating the dance scene from _The Breakfast Club_. Their laughter made Thorne smile, and he wished he could join them rather than listen to Kai's cryptic blabbering. "You need to talk to her, Thorne."

"What?"

"Talk to her. Ask her if she's okay."

Thorne pointed to the dancing girls. "Oh yeah, she looks downright miserable."

Kai didn't seem to have heard him. "She never talks to me. She hasn't even visited Cinder and me and she doesn't want to go to lunch with me if I ask her. Whenever I try asking her how she's doing back home, she evades my questions. She always says has to work on the wedding and has tons of stuff to do."

"But that's true, Kai."

Kai glared at him but there was something miserable in his expression. "She meets you for lunch or breakfast plenty of times. She even brought food to Cinder's construction site if only to discuss a few things. But she never comes to see me!"

Stunned into silence, Thorne was glad when he saw the first cab arriving. "Kai, not sure what you want me to do—"

"Just to talk her. Ask her if everything's okay. I was so excited to spend time with my friend but it never happens. And I worry, Thorne. Not that she"—he paused—"you know she was pretty sick as a kid, and not that something happened and—"

Thorne grasped Kai's shoulder reassuringly but also used some pressure to steer Kai into the direction of the cab. "I actually talked to Cress about that. She's fine. Her hair proves that. See, it’s super long."

He couldn't even blame Kai for being confused by that.

Helping both Cinder and Kai into the cab and making sure the driver would get them to the right address (since Cinder continued to interrupt to tell the driver to get them into the year 1984 since she was on a secret mission), Thorne patted Kai's shoulder reassuringly when Kai grasped at his arm. "Please, Thorne? Just ask her. Maybe it has something to do with her boyfriend?"

Thorne sharply drew in breath. "Cress has a boyfriend?!" He glanced at Cress who was now waving a second cab in her direction, not knowing she was at the center of Thorne and Kai's conversation.

She never mentioned a boyfriend. And unlike Kai, he actually did spend a lot of time with Cress. Her calls were always business-related, he had assumed. He didn't know what to feel about it.

Somehow, he didn't like it.

But Kai shook his head. "No. I don't think so. At least not anymore. Or maybe I'm reading too much into things. There was this guy she went out with a year ago or so but I was so involved with Cinder and my political campaign that I didn't really catch up." Guilt was written over Kai's face but Thorne felt that Kai was working himself up over nothing. "Maybe they broke up and she's sad? Maybe she needs someone to talk to. Apparently, she doesn't want it to be me."

What was he, a shoulder to lean on? Did Kai even know what he was asking of him?

But then Cress drew his gaze. His eyes followed her slight figure, right down to a set of very nice legs. Maybe she did need a shoulder to cry on? It suddenly didn't sound so bad. If said boyfriend actually existed, which Thorne actually doubted. Kai was always making assumptions about things. Just like when Kai had worked himself into a frenzy over Cinder. He had worried about her saying no to his proposal whereas everyone with half a brain could have told him that there was no way that Cinder would say anything but 'yes' to him. There was probably something else going on with Cress. _If_ there was anything going on with her, that is.

Thorne sighed. The things he did for his friends. "Sure, I'll ask her." He gave the driver a sign so he could drive off.

He walked over to Cress who was now chatting up the other driver. Her speech was still a bit muddled, but the driver didn't seem to mind.

She turned around when Thorne approached, a blinding smile showing off her dimples. "Want to share the cab?"

"You thought I ordered it just for you?" He opened the door for her. "You should be happy I'm sharing _my_ cab with you," he told her with a joking wink.

Cress entered, slightly wobbly on her feet. "I thought you said were a gentleman?"

"And you’ve known me long enough by now to know it's just a farce." Climbing in behind her, he closed the door. "Now, scoot over."

Deciding it would be easier (and safer) to drop off Cress first, he gave the driver the address of Cress's temporary residence. By the time they exited the parking lot, Cress had already dozed off, her head having found its way onto Thorne's shoulder. The fresh scent of vanilla and berries wafted off her hair, tickling his nose and keeping him awake.

Thorne decided that he would ask Cress about how she was doing, just to placate Kai.

And if Cress actually needed a shoulder to cry on—he glanced at the blonde head resting on his shoulder—well, it seemed like his shoulder was already being prepared for that.


End file.
